How to Propagate Hawthorn? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods

Hawthorn, also called mountain jujube, red fruit, or sour red, is the fruit of a deciduous tree. When we talk about hawthorn, the first things that come to mind are candied hawthorn skewers, hawthorn slices, hawthorn cakes and other foods, and instantly we feel our appetite increase. Indeed, the main function of hawthorn is to stimulate the appetite and treat indigestion, but it is forbidden for pregnant women. Today let us learn about the propagation methods of hawthorn.

1. Seed propagation

When propagating hawthorn from seed, we first need to select good seeds; the seeds should be plump, free of pests and diseases, free of external damage, and of excellent quality. Then mix the seeds evenly with moist sand, place them in a deep trench about 70 to 80 cm deep, and cover with a layer of sand about 30 to 40 cm thick for stratification. Wait until the autumn of the following year to dig the seeds out and sow them, or sow them in the spring of the third year. When sowing, we generally use the drill method, with a distance of 20 cm between rows, evenly scatter the seeds, cover with soil, then cover with a thin layer of sand, water once, and finally wait for seedlings to emerge. When the seedlings grow to about 30 cm, transplant and establish them in spring, summer or autumn.

2. Cutting propagation

Hawthorn cutting propagation differs somewhat from the cutting propagation of other fruit trees. It does not use branch cuttings, but rather root suckers for cuttings. So before cutting, we need to dig out the root suckers of the hawthorn tree, then select roots about 0.5 cm to 1 cm thick to use as cutting roots. After selecting the cutting roots, cut them into small sections about 13 to 14 cm long, then mix a rooting agent with moist sand, place the root sections in the moist sand for about a week, and finally insert the treated root sections into the nursery bed; generally seedlings emerge in about half a month. Cutting propagation is best done in spring, as the survival rate will be relatively much higher.

3. Grafting propagation

Hawthorn propagation can also be done by grafting, and apart from winter, hawthorn grafting can be carried out at any other time. Before grafting hawthorn, we first need to cultivate hawthorn seedlings by seed propagation to use as rootstock, and secondly select branches of excellent-quality hawthorn to use as scions. When grafting, we usually use methods such as bud grafting, branch grafting, and approach grafting, but the most commonly used is bud grafting. Before grafting, the grafting tools must be disinfected to avoid bacterial infection; secondly, after grafting, fix it well with plastic film or grafting clips, and only remove them after new branches and leaves grow from the grafted point.

The above methods are all commonly used methods for growing hawthorn. Among them, seed propagation is the most traditional growing method, while grafting is currently the most commonly used method in production; it can improve the quality of hawthorn and also promote early fruiting of hawthorn.