Chokeberry propagation methods for beginners with step-by-step photos

Berries

There are several ways to propagate chokeberries. Some gardeners grow young plants from seeds. However, vegetative methods are more common at home. These techniques help preserve all the varietal characteristics of the parent plant. This procedure is typically performed in the fall or spring, depending on the chosen method and regional weather conditions. Subsequently, the young chokeberries are carefully cared for to ensure rapid growth and early fruiting.

Deadlines

Experienced gardeners choose autumn to propagate chokeberries, or aronia as this plant is also known. However, some methods allow this process to be performed in the spring. The exact timing depends on the growing region. When choosing a date, consider the lunar gardening calendar and weather conditions.

In the fall, propagation of red or black rowan trees is scheduled for September, and in the southern regions, for October. In the spring, the process is completed before the buds swell and the sap begins to flow. In the south of the country, the appropriate time for this is March. In the central part of Russia and Siberia, the work is carried out in April.

Methods of reproduction

The following methods are possible for obtaining young chokeberry plants:

growing from cuttings;
cuttings;
dividing an adult bush;
formation of root shoots;
growing from seeds;
grafting.

Vegetative propagation methods are considered the most effective. Plants produced using these methods retain all the hereditary traits of the parent tree or bush. They produce fruit within 2-3 years. Propagating chokeberries by seed is rarely used. This process does not guarantee success and is time-consuming. Not all novice gardeners are proficient in grafting properly. Therefore, rowan propagation using this method is not often used.

Propagation by cuttings

This is one of the easiest ways to obtain young plants, requiring no special knowledge. Gardeners often propagate by cuttings in the fall. Chokeberries are especially easy to propagate at this time. However, if the right time is missed, the planting material is saved until spring.

Lignified cuttings

Woody, dark shoots 15 to 20 cm long are cut from the bush. The upper part of the branch is not suitable for cutting. Cuttings are taken from the middle of the shoot, leaving six buds on each. The lower cut is made directly below the last bud, at a right angle. The prepared cuttings should be planted in fertile soil in a well-drained area protected from north winds. The cuttings are buried almost completely in the soil, leaving only two buds above the surface. The root system forms in 20-30 days. To protect against winter frosts, the planted cuttings are covered with a thick layer of mulch. With the onset of spring, their growth begins. If cold weather sets in early, planting the cuttings in the ground is postponed until early spring and the snow has melted. Before storing, they are sorted by size and tied into bundles.

The lower portion of the cuttings is wrapped in a damp cloth or placed in a box filled with moistened sand. The upper portion is covered with plastic, preventing the branches from drying out. The bundle is unwrapped weekly and the condition of the shoots is checked. They are moistened if necessary.

The bundle is left in a cool place. A basement, a glassed-in balcony, an unheated veranda, or the vegetable drawer of a refrigerator are suitable. With the arrival of spring, the prepared cuttings are planted in individual containers filled with fertile soil. Until warm weather arrives, they are kept in a cool room, and the soil is regularly moistened. The cuttings are planted in their permanent location after the snow melts and the soil warms.

Green cuttings

Planting material is harvested in the spring from one-year-old shoots no longer than 15 cm. The branch tips remaining after pruning are used as starting material. The lower part of the cutting is completely stripped of foliage. The remaining two upper branches are shortened by a third. In the area where the foliage has been stripped, a small incision is made in the bark under each bud. These areas will be the sites where roots will grow. The cuttings are placed in a rooting stimulant solution and left for 12 hours. They are then placed in a greenhouse, leaving 5 cm between them. The soil is then watered.

Important!

During rooting, maintain the greenhouse temperature at +20°C. If the temperature rises, provide ventilation.

It takes about 30 days for the root system to develop this way. Then the greenhouse is opened slightly. As they grow, the developing plants are fed with organic matter or liquid mineral fertilizers. Subsequently, the bushes are watered regularly, the soil beneath them is loosened, and weeds are removed.

Propagation of chokeberry by layering

This method is used to propagate young chokeberry bushes in early spring after the soil has warmed. Strong, one-year-old shoots with well-developed shoots are suitable for layering, either arched or horizontally. The soil around the trunk is dug over and leveled.

Shallow trenches are then dug from the trunk. The selected shoots are placed in these trenches and pressed down with metal or wooden pins. The apical portion is pinched. Over time, green shoots emerge from the buds on the layers. When they reach 10 cm in length, they are covered with fertile, moist soil to a depth of 5 cm. After three weeks, the process is repeated. In the fall or the following spring, the rooted shoots are cut from the mother plant and transplanted to their permanent location.

To obtain young plants from vertical layering, the mother plant is cut back to the ground, leaving stumps 20 cm above the soil surface. With regular watering and fertilization, numerous young shoots emerge from the soil. When they reach 15 cm in length, the first hilling is performed. To prevent the branches from growing close together, a thick layer of soil is added to the center of the plant. After three weeks, the hilling is repeated. It is advisable to choose a time after a rain or to water the plant thoroughly the day before. The resulting layers are separated and transplanted to their permanent location in the fall or postponed until spring.

Propagation of chokeberry by dividing the bush

This procedure is performed only on mature bushes, often combined with replanting. Division is performed so that each section retains several strong shoots and a developed root system. To prevent tissue infection after cutting, the exposed areas are sprinkled with wood ash or crushed activated charcoal.

Planting holes for the cuttings are prepared in advance. The seedlings are placed in the prepared holes, and the roots are covered with fertile soil. This is often mixed with compost and a small amount of superphosphate is added. The plants are planted at intervals of 2 meters. Subsequent care consists of timely soil moistening, loosening the soil, and removing weeds. After planting, the branches of the seedlings are pruned by a third. With the onset of autumn, the soil around the young bushes is covered with a layer of mulch.

If the cuttings are to be transported for planting elsewhere, the root system is wrapped in wet cloths. The roots are then placed in water for several hours to keep them moist. Planting is performed 72 hours after dividing the plant.

Advice!

To prevent the development of rot on the roots, they are dipped in a clay slurry before planting.

Propagation of rowan by root suckers

Every year, basal suckers appear near the chokeberry plant. The number of suckers varies, depending on the nutrient content and moisture content of the soil, as well as the varietal characteristics of the rowan tree. From the moment the suckers appear, a year passes until the young plant's root system is fully formed. Then, the suckers should be separated from the mother plant with a shovel and replanted in another area. Before replanting, the young chokeberry shoots are pruned back to three buds. Plants produced in this way retain their varietal characteristics.

Propagation of chokeberry by seeds

Ripe aronia berries are left indoors at room temperature. Once they begin to ferment, they are pressed through a sieve, separating the seeds from the skin and pulp, and rinsed in water. The resulting seed material is combined with sifted river sand and moistened. This mixture is stored for three months in a basement or in the vegetable drawer of a refrigerator to allow the seeds to stratify. The condition of the sand is regularly checked and moistened if necessary. If sprouts appear during stratification, but it is not yet time to transplant into the ground, the container with them is moved to a cooler place with a temperature of around 0°C.

In the spring, after the weather warms up, the seeds are sown in an open garden bed. To do this, make furrows 6 to 8 cm deep. The seeds are spread in these furrows and covered with soil. The area is then mulched with wood chips or dry humus. The first shoots appear only after a month. In the summer, when the first pair of true leaves has formed, the seedlings are thinned out. Leave a 3 cm gap between the shoots. After the fifth leaf has formed, the procedure is repeated. Now, leave 6 cm of space between the plants.

During the summer, the seedlings are watered regularly. The bed is periodically loosened and weeded. In the spring, the plants are fed with a mullein solution. In the fall, the bed is covered with a thick layer of mulch or agrofibre to protect it from frost. During the winter, snow is piled on top for additional protection. The following spring, thinning is performed again, leaving 10 cm between plants. In the fall, the seedlings are transplanted to their permanent location.

Note!

When growing chokeberries from seeds, young plants do not retain varietal characteristics. This method is rarely used because it is time-consuming and does not always produce the desired results. Rowan seeds have a very low germination rate.

Graft

Good results are achieved by propagating chokeberry by grafting. However, for the procedure to be successful, it must be performed correctly. Grafting is performed in the spring, before the sap begins to flow. A wild rowan seedling or a variety adapted to local climate conditions is used as the rootstock. It is first wiped with a damp cloth to remove dust and shortened to a height of 15 cm. Then, the trunk is deeply split down the center with a sharp, pre-sterilized tool.