What hawthorn is and how it looks, everyone has probably heard, but not everyone knows how to grow this useful plant in its area. And meanwhile, despite the fact that hawthorn propagates both in seeds and in a variety of vegetative ways, in most cases it is not as easy to get a new plant as it might seem.
Cuttings
Reproduction hawthorn cuttings - a possible, but not the easiest way, with a high probability of unsuccessful results.
The cuttings of this shrub take root very long and extremely reluctantly, so that, choosing this method, be prepared for the fact that hard work for several years in a row may eventually prove to be in vain. The cutting must be started in early spring, before sap flow begins. If rooting will be carried out in a greenhouse, cuttings can be cut in the fall, after the shrub has dropped leaves.
As the cuttings you need to choose green shoots with a thickness of slightly less than 1 cm, with no signs of stiffness, freezing or damage. It is best to choose one-year branches, in extreme cases - two-year.
Important! The branches from the top of the shrub are not suitable for grafting. You should choose the side shoots that grow from the south side, and not the most developed. It is best to cut off such a branch almost at the base and remove the excess part from the top, leaving a length of 10-15 cm, since the tip cuttings of hawthorn practically do not root.
The lower branches of the bush are also poorly suited for grafting.
Cut the cuttings under the kidney diagonally. We use only very sharp tools! 
Freshly cut cuttings are placed on the rotor for an hour (it must first be purchased at a specialty store) and only after that we plant it.
As a soil mixture, peat or sand (or perlite) can be used in equal parts, or you can use ordinary soil, but the ground must be loose and well-fertilized. It is also recommended to add lime fertilizer to the soil - defecation or ordinary chalk.
Learn also about the reproduction of such shrubs, such as honeysuckle honeysuckle, magnolia, aronia, viburnum buldenezh, sea buckthorn, prince.First, we pour the soil with a liquid with a rotor, in which the cuttings were kept.
Some advise to put the stalk in potato tuber and only after that to plant it in the ground. It is believed that with this method, the cutting receives the maximum amount of nutrients in an easily accessible form and takes root very well. 
We plant cuttings in the chess way, leaving a distance of at least 0.4 m between the rows, and 0.2 m between the plants in a row.
Important! For germination hawthorn cuttings need a very high humidity, up to 80%.
To ensure this level of humidity, special fogging installations are used. Such installation can be made independently.
To do this, a trench of 50 cm depth is pulled out, which is filled with half-rotted manure or compost, a small layer of sand is poured on top and cuttings are planted.
The walls of the pit need to be tamped well, but in no case do not sheathe, so as not to interfere with natural ventilation. Above the pit is covered with glass, wired into a wooden frame (you can use the old window). 
The frame should tightly cover the pit, it is better to lay it on the boards tightly spread around the perimeter. The inner side of the glass must be sheathed in several layers with gauze or another light cloth that absorbs moisture well, so that the accumulated condensate does not fall on the cuttings with cold drops and does not prevent them from taking root.
Did you know? Hawthorn has such a beautiful name only in Russian. The Latin name of the plant Crataégus literally means "strong", "strong", and in most modern languages of the world it is simply called "thorn". Probably, the romantic "hawthorn" comes from the words "haw" or "boyar". The direct connection is not obvious, but it can be assumed that the whole thing is in the beautiful purple berries of this shrub: the boyars had the same color, emphasizing their affiliation to the highest class of society.It is due to the evaporation of moisture absorbed into the tissue in our pit by a sunny day that a "fog" will be formed and high humidity will be achieved, while the cuttings will be protected from the scorching rays of the sun by a layer of light-colored fabric.
If it becomes very hot outside, the “own” moisture in the greenhouse may not be enough, and the cuttings need to be watered. But this must be done without opening the glass, so as not to disturb the microclimate created in the pit. Along the perimeter of the hothouse we tear out a trench and fill it with water. Hawthorn cuttings take root, as has been said, for a very long time. If the cuttings survived the first winter, it is already good. We begin to feed young plants with nitrogen fertilizers, we water it very plentifully, but not often.
In the autumn or next spring, rooted cuttings can be transplanted to a permanent place, leaving at least 2 m between individual plants. But for the best result, many advise that a re-growing procedure should last, which lasts at least 4 years.
Seedlings are placed in fertile soil with the addition of lime (the roots should not touch it!) And grow under constant care - regular watering, loosening and weeding. Only after a specified period of time, the plant is planted in a permanent place and formed, depending on the purpose (in the form of a fence or a separate shrub).
Vaccination (budding)
Vaccination is deservedly considered the most reliable method of hawthorn reproduction. In relation to the stock each gardener has his own approach. In this capacity, you can use the hawthorn bush that is already growing on your site, which yields a poor crop, and it is a pity to throw it away (especially for this purpose, the one-pest plant type is suitable). 
But many insist that the best stock for hawthorn is a red rowan, which is perfectly acclimatized from root suckers and can be used for budding literally in the second or third year. Fans of this method of vaccination claim that the probability of engraftment is almost one hundred percent.
Did you know? Theologians of many countries still break spears in discussions about what plant the crown of thorns of Jesus was made of. The New Testament does not give an answer to this question, it is clear only that it was something very thorny. Scripture was translated many times, and most of the translations into modern languages were made not from the original source in Aramaic, but from Ancient Greek (translation from translation). It is not surprising that different botanical names are mentioned in different versions for a total of more than 100. According to one version, the soldiers put a crown of hawthorn on the head of Christ as a sign of desecration.The vaccination should be done in the spring, before the leaves bloom, but after the end of the cold. For a graft, it is best to take a hawthorn at the age of 2 years and a root neck about 1 cm in diameter. The graft height is about 1 m. At the same time, side branches with a stock can not be removed.
Hawthorn has a very hard bark, so you need to work with it only with a sharp tool and it is desirable to have a firm hand and some experience.There are several ways of grafting: splitting, butt, copulation. You can use any.
Splitting grafting is the easiest to perform. In this case, the stock is trimmed completely at the desired height, after which a vertical incision with a depth of about 5 cm is made from above, into which the cutting will be inserted. The graft (it should have at least 3 kidneys) is cut off from below with a wedge and inserted into the prepared slot.
Important! Never touch the cut with your hands, so as not to make an infection in the cutting.
Now carefully tie the place of vaccination with food film or insulating tape. Keep the material clean! Then we cover open areas with garden pitch. 
Here it is very important to maintain a balance: on the one hand, an infection can get into the vaccination site, on the other hand, drying out can lead to the scion simply drying up. Therefore, the joint must be protected, but not too tight!
As the scion takes root (new buds and shoots should begin to appear on it in a month, the bandage is weakened. Until the hawthorn grows together completely, it is necessary to carefully monitor it, protect it from direct sunlight, remove excess branches and treat it with insecticides if pests appear (in particular, aphids).
Learn more about tree grafting.Inoculation into the stock is done according to the same rules, but in this case the graft is inserted into the “pocket” made in the side part of the stock.
Copulation is the folding of scion slices and rootstocks between each other.
The success of the vaccination, no matter how it is carried out, usually becomes visible after 3-4 weeks. If everything went well, and the graft was well rooted, hawthorn can give the first harvest as early as next year. 
Layering
Reproduction hawthorn layering - a good way, but it is not suitable for all types of plants, but only for its bush forms.
The technology is very simple. In late spring, annuals (in extreme cases, biennial) shoots of shrubs, without separating from the mother plant, are placed horizontally in pre-excavated trenches and attached to the ground with wooden rods or metal pins.
Then the trench is covered with earth, leaving the upper part of the shoot on the surface. It is very important to drag the escape at the base so that the layers begin to take root on their own. 
We plentifully and often water the shoots and we carry out 2-3 fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer during the season. If necessary, pour the required amount of land so that the core of the layering is not bare.
You can cover the ground around the top of the shoot with mulch - straw, hay, peat, or needles are suitable for this purpose. Separation of the layers from the bush can be carried out in the autumn, but if rooting was not successful enough, it is preferable to postpone the crucial moment until the next spring.
Did you know? Many legends and beliefs are associated with hawthorn, and in exactly the opposite direction. This amazing plant was considered the embodiment of evil, promising misfortune, illness and all sorts of misfortunes, including the death of loved ones (especially if it was uprooted or broken), and a symbol of happiness in the family, virgin chastity, protection from evil spirits. For Turks, hawthorn fragrance was associated with erotic thoughts and sexuality, and for Scandinavians - on the contrary, with cold and death.
Root shoots (scions)
This method is also mainly used for hawthorn shrub forms, since the root growth of trees grows much smaller. The method is applied at the end of the season - in August or September. 
At first, the shoots that appear on the sides of the plant are very carefully separated from the mother bush. It is important not to damage the horizontal root, so as not to destroy the adult plant. After the offspring takes root (this can be seen next spring), it is carefully dug up and transplanted to a previously prepared place.
An alternative way of hawthorn propagation is root cuttings. In the autumn, the roots of the same length as the green cuttings are carefully cut from the adult plant. Then they are buried in the ground and left until spring.
When the frosts pass, each cutting is cut into two halves and buried in the ground at an acute angle with a thicker part down, so that the small tip remains on the surface. 
Rooting of such cuttings requires compliance with the same conditions as green cutting - a fogging installation or a homemade greenhouse. If after a few weeks you notice young shoots that have appeared above the ground, the grafting has passed successfully.
Growing from seed
Reproduction hawthorn seeds - almost the same unreliable method as grafting. In addition, it should be borne in mind that a plant grown from a seed will not necessarily inherit the characteristics of the parent, therefore, for especially valuable hawthorn varieties, it is better to use vegetative propagation methods.
Did you know? In the wild, hawthorn is mainly propagated by seeds, but not by ordinary spraying, but by a very peculiar procedure of passing the fetus through the digestive system of birds that eat berries. Under the influence of gastric juices, the fruits split and swell and, coming out naturally, give maximum germination.
The main problem of hawthorn seed reproduction is related to the fact that it has very hard fruits that simply cannot grow without additional processing. 
As an option, some advise to use not fully ripened berries for sowing, while their skin has not yet managed to harden properly.
Such fruits are laid out in small portions and left for a few months left to themselves. The rotted berries are cleaned, placed in peat and again left alone until the next spring, when shoots should appear.
In addition to this method, other tricks are applied. For example, the shell can be artificially destroyed (the so-called scarification). This can be done mechanically, chemically or thermally.
Applied to hawthorn most often use the second or third methods. In chemical scarification, the fruit is placed in a 3% solution of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid for a few hours (or in a 1% solution of the sodium salt of nitric acid for a day), and then washed well with cold water. 
Thermal scarification is an easier way. The berries are simply placed in a cotton bag and alternately lowered for about 30 seconds in boiling water or ice water. As a result, the fruits should swell and increase in size, after which they are ready for planting.
The same procedure can be carried out in a different form: the berries are planted in peat and begin to be poured with warm water. After a few months, they switch to contrasting glazes using water that melts the ice.
As a seed preparation for planting, the usual stratification is also used (for 4 months the fruit is kept warm in peat and then placed for wintering at a temperature a few degrees above zero).
Accelerated seed preparation involves soaking in warm water for several days (the temperature must remain warm, for this you can put a container with seeds on the battery or place it at another heat source). However, it is always necessary to soak the seeds, including after scarification and stratification. 
Without preliminary preparation, hawthorn seeds will not grow for several years. But even with proper processing, such fruits germinate very badly, often fall ill, are damaged by pests and various diseases.
Disembarkation, given the poor germination, is carried out in the winter way (using the prepared seeds of the last year). In this case, germination can occur not next spring, but only after a year and a half.
After planting, the ground (it must be very fertile) is watered and covered with peat, straw or conifer needles and left to overwinter in this form.
Hawthorn shoots are oval, fleshy cotyledon leaves 0.5 to 1.5 cm long. The stem under them has a characteristic reddish color. 
During the first 2 years of life, such shoots increase in size by only 10 cm per year or even less, then the growth rate increases several times. This continues until the plant reaches 8 years, after which the growth rate falls again.
As you can see, hawthorn seeds are difficult to grow, the only plus is that if everything works out, you can get a large number of new plants at one time, which is excluded with vegetative propagation methods.
In addition to the options described, it is worth mentioning another possibility of hawthorn breeding, which has recently appeared due to the accelerated development of technology. It's about cloning.
This way very quickly get a huge number of new plants. The bottom line is that a specially treated kidney is first placed in a nutrient medium, and then the resulting sprout is transplanted into a greenhouse. Unfortunately, today this option at home remains inaccessible: absolute sterility and a special laboratory are needed. 
So, we have considered all possible ways to breed hawthorn in our own summer cottage. Each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. The choice is yours!
