Rainier Cherry Tree Care & Propagation Guide

Cherry is a popular fruit. Rainier cherry tree blooms in early spring and bears fruit in spring and summer. The fruiting cycle is very short and maintenance is simple and convenient. The market price of cherries is very high and can't be stored for a long time. Planting a Rainier cherry tree yourself can not only enjoy flowers but also eat cherries. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone! So, what should we pay attention to when planting Rainier cherry tree? What does Rainier cherry tree do?

Rainier Cherry Tree Quick Info

Botanical/Scientific Name	Prunus Avium
Common Name	Rainier Cherry
Varieties	Black Tartarian, Sam, or Stella
Uses	Baking as well as canning and freezing
Origin	Washington
Light Care	Full sun
Soil Care	Well-drained soil
Temperature Care	Between 90 and minus 20 degrees F
Humidity Care	Moisture Humidity
Watering	First week every other day
Pruning Care	Promote outward growth by pruning out new vertical limbs
Fertilizer Care	Broadcast about 2 1/2 pounds of 10-10-10
Propagation	Semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings
Toxic	Highly toxic to dogs

Rainier Cherry Tree Care in Detail

Rainier Cherry Tree Watering

After Rainier cherry tree is planted in spring, the first thing to do is watering. On the premise of ensuring the survival of seedlings, we should water as many times as possible to promote root growth and the growth of branches and leaves. After complete survival, we should water in stages. Rainier cherry tree likes water. Before the flowering period comes, give the seedlings a flood of water. After filling enough water, Rainier cherry tree will bloom more and prolong the flowering period. As the amount of flowers increases, the amount of fruit will naturally increase. If a tree bears more fruit, how many fruit does a cherry tree in an acre of land have to bear! In addition to watering before flowering, watering during fruit expansion should also be frequent, not dry, but we must pay attention not to ponding. The soil moisture is enough, and the cherries are full of moisture.
Rainier cherry tree has strong drought tolerance. In most of the year, unless the weather is unusually hot or windy, the growing and stable Rainier cherry tree can last for several months without watering. However, once Rainier cherry tree enters the fruiting period, it is necessary to pay close attention to the changes of soil moisture, Cherries need plenty of water during ripening to produce full and juicy pulp. For the soil around the Rainier cherry tree in the non fruiting period, when the soil at a depth of 5 to 10 cm from the ground starts to dry, the Rainier cherry tree shall be slowly and deeply watered with hose or drip irrigation as soon as possible, and the drip irrigation line shall be surrounded on the trees with thick organic mulch to maintain soil moisture, And irrigate Rainier cherry tree in winter and when the weather is particularly dry and windy. Most of the damage to Rainier cherry tree in winter is caused by dry soil.

Rainier Cherry Tree Soil

Rainier cherry tree is suitable for cultivation on sandy soil with deep soil layer, loose soil and good ventilation. If it is cultivated on poorly drained, sticky and hardened soil, it will cause weak tree growth, shallow root distribution, neither drought and flood resistance nor wind resistance. Large cherry tree grafted with Rainier cherry tree as rootstock, especially avoid heavy soil. Large Rainier cherry tree cherry is sensitive to soil salinization. Therefore, Rainier cherry tree cannot be planted in saline alkali soil. The suitable soil pH is good, ph5.6-7.0.

Rainier Cherry Tree Light

Rainier cherry mainly pays attention to appropriate temperature, humidity and light. If these three conditions are met, new seedlings can be successfully cultivated. After the seedlings are unearthed, pay attention to watering and shading, because the Rainier cherry seedlings are relatively tender and are not suitable for direct sunlight. It is necessary to build a shading shed for shading. In order to promote the rapid growth of seedlings, you can spray foliar fertilizer and water on the Rainier cherry seedlings to promote the absorption of nutrition and water.

Rainier Cherry Tree Temperature

Rainier cherry tree can generally be divided into two types according to different tastes: sweet cherry and sour cherry. Rainier cherry trees mostly have weak cold resistance and are suitable for growing in warm and humid areas. Sweet Rainier cherry tree is suitable for planting in areas where the temperature is below 7.5 ℃ for 1100 to 1300 hours a year, while sour Rainier cherry tree is more suitable for planting in areas where the temperature is below 7.5 ℃ for at least 1200 hours a year.

Rainier Cherry Tree Humidity

Humidity is an essential condition for the normal growth and development of Rainier cherry tree. However, because the root of Rainier cherry tree needs high oxygen concentration and is very sensitive to hypoxia, it is also very sensitive to soil water content. When the soil humidity is too high, it is easy to cause excessive growth of branches and leaves, which is not conducive to the results. In addition, it will also cause insufficient oxygen in the soil and affect the normal respiration of the root system. In serious cases, it will rot the root and flow glue from the aboveground, and finally lead to the weakness and death of the tree; When the soil humidity of Rainier cherry tree is low, especially in summer, drought and insufficient watering will not only inhibit the growth of new shoots, cause premature aging of trees and form "small old trees", with low yield and poor fruit quality, but also cause a large number of fruit drop.

Rainier Cherry Tree Fertilizer

Before planting Rainier cherry tree, we must apply enough base fertilizer to the soil. We should apply fertilizer once at the turn of spring and summer, and once after falling leaves in autumn. This is the fertilization plan for the first year. In the second year of planting Rainier cherry tree, we apply fertilizer once before germination in spring, once in summer and once in autumn. In the third year of planting, apply fertilizer before germination, apply fertilizer before flowering, apply fertilizer during fruit expansion, apply fertilizer after fruit picking, and apply fertilizer again after falling leaves in autumn.
Fertilizer can provide the nutrition needed for the growth of Rainier cherry tree, and then promote the cherry tree to produce the healthiest and full fruit. We can apply fertilizer in the early spring before the bud burst of Rainier cherry tree, which can timely support the new growth of cherry tree in spring. Soil samples can also be collected to professional laboratories for testing and analysis of soil components, so as to more accurately determine the types and quantities of fertilizers and nutrients to be added to the soil. You can also apply 1 / 8 pound of nitrogen per inch of diameter to the trunk, or put a thin layer of compost on the drip line around the tree. But remember, insufficient fertilizer is better than over fertilization, because over fertilization can lead to fragile branches, excessive leaf growth and reduced flowering and Fruiting of Rainier cherry tree.

Rainier Cherry Tree Pruning

Rainier cherry tree pruning is mainly concentrated before germination and after fruit picking. Before germination, pruning and shaping can be carried out according to the tree potential to promote the germination of new branches. Flower and fruit branches can be thinly cut at the flowering and fruit stage, and nutritional branches can be adjusted to maximize the fruit yield. After harvest, over dense branches, long branches and some diseased branches can be cut off to cultivate internal branches, so as to prevent internal lack of branches and reduce the yield. After Rainier cherry tree leaves in autumn, cut off dense branches, bare branches and pest branches to reduce nutrient consumption and ensure safe wintering in winter. For some new shoots with enough space to grow, it can be controlled at about 10cm, repeatedly picking new buds, and picking some new buds that retract and have no growth space after germination.
Since most Rainier cherry trees like light, proper pruning is more conducive to the overall acceptance of light. Rainier cherry trees are smaller than other trees, so most acid Rainier cherry trees do not need special pruning, except to cut the redundant branches growing around the base of the tree. Some of the large sweet cherry trees can reach a height of 9 to 10 meters. These Rainier cherry trees need to grow the branches at a narrow angle and reduce the tree height for management, so the trunk tips should be trimmed in time. In the dormant months after Rainier cherry tree leaves fall and before new leaf buds grow, we can trim them every 3 to 4 years to reduce the broken tips and redundant branches of the trunk, so as to allow light and air to reach the interior of the tree. Good air circulation can well regulate the flowering and falling leaves of cherry trees and effectively inhibit Brown rot.

Rainier Cherry Tree Repotting

If you want to potted cherry trees, you can first choose a smaller tile pot or pull out the pot for planting. Drainage holes are needed at the bottom to help the seeds of Rainier cherry tree breathe and drain. In the coming year, you can transplant them into a larger mud pot or pottery pot to make the roots of Rainier cherry tree grow better in the pot.
The potted Rainier cherry tree plant grows day by day, and the root system gradually covers the whole basin. The extended roots grow along the basin wall to form a dense layer of root circle. In the long run, the lack of nutrients in the basin soil and the aging of roots affect the growth and development of Rainier cherry tree on the ground, so we must change the basin in time. First, the small basin is replaced by the large basin to increase the volume of the container; The second is to repair and update the root system, remove some old roots, promote new roots and enhance the absorption capacity of the root system; Third, take the opportunity to replace some nutrient soil and improve the nutrient composition of basin soil.
The basin changing period of Rainier cherry tree should be carried out after falling leaves in autumn or before budding in early spring of the next year. The roots damaged by changing pots in autumn still have a period of time to recover before winter. When the basin is changed in early spring, the balance between the upper part and the lower part will not be greatly damaged. When changing the basin, turn the bamboo piece along the inner wall of the basin to form a gap between the soil mass in the basin and the basin wall, turn the basin upside down, and hold the big cherry plant and soil mass by hand. Because the basin mouth is large at the top and small at the bottom, the plants and soil mass are dumped out under the action of gravity. At this time, we can use a sharp knife to cut off the old basin soil about 2-3cm thick and dense roots around the soil mass. The new basin shall be soaked in clean water, some twigs (or hair) shall be blocked at the drainage hole at the basin bottom, the base fertilizer shall be applied, and then the plant and soil mass shall be put into the new basin. New nutrient soil shall be filled around the basin, filled and pressed at the same time, so that the soil is closely connected with the root group, and then watered once again.
The basin changing and root pruning of Rainier cherry tree are generally carried out once every 2-3 years, so that the nutrition of basin soil is often supplemented. In this way, the old roots can be eliminated in time, and there are more and more new roots. This is the same as the pruning of aboveground branches and vines and "spitting out the old and embracing the new" every year, so as to achieve the purpose of mutual promotion between aboveground and underground parts and the overall renewal and rejuvenation of the whole Rainier cherry tree.

Rainier Cherry Tree Pest & Disease Control

A variety of Rainier cherry tree pest & disease can attack plants, including aphids, peach tree borers, green fruit flies and common fruit flies. In the wet season, the humid climate can provide opportunities for the growth and reproduction of fungi, viruses and bacteria, leading to diseases of Rainier cherry tree, such as Fusarium wilt, leaf curl and brown rot. But most diseases can be controlled by spraying Rainier Cherry Tree two to three times of copper sulphate spray, and removing any infected branches or fruits during Rainier Cherry Tree illness, so as to prevent the disease from happening again. For the prevention and control of borehole borers, white emulsion paint can be mixed with the same amount of water and diluted and then applied to the trunk. (Find more healthy fruit here.)

Rainier Cherry Tree Propagation

Rainier Cherry Tree Grafting Propagation

The grafting and seedling raising of Rainier cherry tree mainly pays attention to the selection of rootstocks. Cherry seedlings, cherry trees and cherry blossoms are good materials. In order to enhance the resistance of tree planting, cherry trees and cherry blossoms are good rootstocks. We can cut the branches with strong sprouting power for one year from the mother plant of fine cherry tree in mid and late may as scions, cut off the upper branches of rootstock, connect the scion to rootstock, wrap up the wound, cover it with plastic bags for moisturizing, remove the plastic bags when new buds grow, and Propagation in sunny places. Pay attention to water supplement in later maintenance. We should often spray water on the leaves of Rainier cherry tree to moisturize and promote plant growth.

Rainier Cherry Tree Seed Propagation

For rain cherry tree seed propagation, we can clean the seeds of rain cherry tree and dry them in a cool place before sowing. When sowing, the seeds can be directly placed in a shallow pot. When the germinating seedlings grow to 5 to 10 cm, they can be moved to the flower pot for maintenance. When the fruit of Rainier cherry tree is ripe, take out the core, put it in clean water to clean the pulp on the surface, and then put it in a cool place to dry for 1 to 2 days before sowing. We can directly put the kernel of Rainier cherry tree in a shallow basin during sowing. It will germinate in about 10 to 30 days. When the seedlings grow to 5 to 10 cm, they can be moved to the flower pot for maintenance.

Rainier Cherry Tree Benefits

Rainier cherry tree has high iron content, ranking first among all kinds of fruits. Iron is the raw material for the synthesis of human hemoglobin and myoglobin. It plays an important role in the process of human immunity, protein synthesis and energy metabolism. At the same time, it is also closely related to brain and nerve function and aging process. Regular consumption of Rainier cherry tree fruit can supplement the demand for iron in the body and promote hemoglobin regeneration. It can not only prevent iron deficiency anemia, but also enhance physique, brain and intelligence.
When measles is prevalent, giving children cherry juice can prevent infection. Cherry kernel has the effect of sweating, rash and detoxification. It has to be said that the efficacy and function of Rainier cherry tree fruit cherry are still very powerful.
Rainier cherry tree fruit can dispel wind and overcome dampness; Insecticidal and other functions. Insecticidal cherry is warm and has the function of tonifying middle and Qi. It can dispel wind and dehumidification, and has a good effect on rheumatic waist and leg pain. Cherry tree root also has a strong insect repellent and insecticidal effect, which can drive Ascaris, pinworm, tapeworm, etc.
The fruit of Rainier cherry tree is rich in nutrition and contains more protein, sugar, phosphorus, carotene and vitamin C than apples and pears, especially high iron content. Cherry juice is often used to wipe the face and wrinkles, which can make the face skin ruddy, tender and white, remove wrinkles and spots.
Rainier cherry tree fruit is a fruit containing more iron and carotene. It is very nutritious. It can replenish blood and kidney for people with deficiency of Qi and blood. Eating 200-300g cherry before meals can regulate gastrointestinal function and is very good for people with poor digestive function.
Rich in vitamin C, Rainier cherry tree fruit can moisturize and whiten skin and effectively resist the formation of melanin. In addition, the fruit acid contained in cherry can also promote the formation of cuticle.

Rainier Cherry Tree Care FAQs

How to grow rainier cherry tree from seed?

1. Save seeds
First of all, you need to get healthy and full organic cherry seeds. You only need to eat some cherries to get natural fruit stones. Then soak these Rainier cherry tree fruit stones in warm water for 5 minutes. You need to clean up all the pulp residues on the fruit stones.
After that, you can prepare some paper towels and lay them on the table. Put the cleaned and soaked cherry stones in a well ventilated and warm place and dry them for 3 ~ 5 days. After the stones are dry, put the stones into a clean container with a lid. There should be no water in it. Then put the sealed bottle in the refrigerator for about 10 weeks.
Some friends will ask why the stones of Rainier cherry tree should be kept in the refrigerator for 10 weeks, because the stones of Rainier cherry tree need to go through a cold period of dormancy before they can germinate. Cherry stones in the natural environment can germinate in spring after the cold winter season. And we put the kernel of Rainier cherry tree in the refrigerator to simulate the cold winter. We can sow and Propagation after 10 weeks.
2. Sowing preparation
After 10 weeks, take out the kernel of Rainier cherry tree, and then put it in a normal temperature environment. The container for sowing should be smaller and well drained. The soil should be loose, breathable and well drained to avoid ponding in the basin. Small containers are easy to cultivate and avoid rotten roots.
Tip: if you want the cherry kernel to germinate and take root as soon as possible, you also need to prepare a pair of pliers to remove the shell of the cherry kernel, expose the white germ inside, and plant the germ in the soil, so as to germinate faster.
3. Keep the soil moist at all times
We can put the kernel of Rainier cherry tree directly under the soil and pour it into water after shallow burial. During the maintenance period, keep the soil slightly moist and put it on the windowsill in a ventilated and bright place.
We can also put multiple nuts in a small container. After the seedlings grow to 2 ~ 3cm, we can remove some weak seedlings and let the strong seedlings grow in a small basin.
4. Precautions for later maintenance
After the seedlings of Rainier cherry tree grow, we should put them in a place with sufficient sunshine until the frost outside is over. After it is warm, we can put the seedlings outside for maintenance, which is more conducive to the growth of cherry seedlings, and then the amount of watering can be appropriately reduced.
If you want to plant Rainier cherry tree in the ground in the later stage, each tree needs to be 6 meters away to avoid planting too dense. Cherry tree growth needs regular fertilization. In the early stage of regrowth, it is mainly to promote the growth of branches and leaves, and in the early stage, it is mainly low nitrogen fertilizer.
5. How long does the cherry tree take to bear fruit?
It usually takes 3-7 years for a trainer cherry tree to bear fruit, but I usually use it as a potted plant for maintenance. It is best to buy cuttings directly if you want results. Maintenance takes a very long time and requires more patience. In order to eat sweet cherry fruit, it is worth it. Once the Rainier cherry tree grows and matures, it will continue to bear fruit every year.

When to plant rainier cherry tree?

The best time to plant Rainier cherry tree is in spring or autumn. The climate temperature is more appropriate. After planting, Rainier cherry tree can adapt to the new environment and recover its growth faster. If the climate in the region is warm in winter, it should be planted in autumn. If spring is cold and dry, we should choose to plant Rainier cherry tree in spring.
Read Next:
Best Fruits -19 Fruits That Can Improve Your Health