How to Propagate Hawthorn? A Detailed Guide to Common Propagation Methods

Hawthorn, also known as sour jujube, red fruit, and 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 flakes, hawthorn cakes, and other foods, and we instantly 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 wet sand, place them in a deep trench about seventy to eighty cm deep, and cover them with a layer of sand about thirty to forty cm thick for sand storage treatment. Wait until the following autumn 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 sowing method, with a distance of twenty cm between each row, evenly scatter the seeds, cover them with soil, then cover with a thin layer of sand, water once, and finally wait for the seedlings to emerge. When the seedlings grow to about thirty cm, transplant and set them in place 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 zero point five cm to one cm thick to use as cutting roots. After selecting the cutting roots, cut them into small sections of about thirteen to fourteen cm, then mix a rooting agent with wet sand, place the root sections in the wet 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 much higher.

3. Grafting Propagation

Hawthorn propagation can also be done by grafting, and hawthorn grafting can be carried out at any time except winter. 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 bud grafting, branch grafting, approach grafting, and other methods, but the most commonly used is bud grafting. Before grafting, the grafting tools must be sterilized to avoid bacterial infection. Secondly, after grafting, it must be fixed with plastic film or grafting clips, and they can only be removed after new branches and leaves grow from the grafted site.

The above methods are all common 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, as it can improve the quality of hawthorn and also promote early fruiting of hawthorn.