How to Root Cherry Tree Cuttings (And Other Stone Fruits)

How many times have you seen an old cherry tree and wished you could have such a tree in your own yard. Just imagine going out in the summer and picking your own fresh cherries. Well you can! Ask the owner of the tree if you can take a few cuttings for yourself. Most of the time, the tree needs to be pruned in the winter while the tree is dormant to be ready for spring growth. Those cuttings normally just get tossed away as compost. 

• Look for pencil-sized thickness in cuttings about 6 to 8 inches long with several nodes. 
• Try to get the tops of the shoots from last year's growth
• Make sure to remove any flower buds as you want roots first
• Look for green under the bark to make sure you have a viable cutting

Rooting Method

1. Place the cuttings into a container of room temperature water as soon after you cut them from the tree as possible. You don't want the cut ends to dry out or you will have to recut them. I like to cut them so that the top has a straight perpendicular cut while the bottom has an angled cut.
2. Prepare a 6-inch deep rooting container by filling it with a 50:50 mixture of vermiculite and coconut coir that has been well moistened but is not wet. Press the mixture into the container  and then use a stick or pencil the same size as the cuttings to poke holes at least two inches apart.
3. Dip the bottom end of your cutting into rooting hormone, tap off the excess
4. Place the treated cutting into the prepared hole. Repeat for as many cuttings as you have.
5. Press the soil mixture firmly around the cuttings so that there are no gaps.
6. Cover the whole container with a lid or some sort of covering to keep the moisture from evaporating.
7. Set the container on a heated mat or in a heated greenhouse of about 75 degrees F.
8. Watch the cuttings for the next 6 to 8 weeks and remove the cover several times during the week to allow for fresh air and mist if necessary.
9. Transplant carefully to a plant pot filled with regular potting soil when you see signs of rooting.
10. Keep the newly grown cherry tree in the warm and bright conditions until the outside soil is 60 degrees and you can plant directly into the ground.

Note: Cherry cuttings are more difficult to root than other plants, but you can expect 50% success with this method.

If you don't have access to a cherry tree for cuttings, you can order them from Etsy where I sell some from my trees here, Wildflower Run