How to Grow Podocarpus Plants

An indoor Podocarpus macrophyllus, also known as the Kusumaki

Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, otherwise referred to as evergreens. There are over 105 species of Podocarpus growing throughout the world which range in growth anywhere between 1 and 40 meters in height. Obviously the larger trees would not make good household plants to keep, but the Japanese Podocarpus, known as the Kusumaki or “Buddhist Pine,” makes a great indoor tree. They are noted for their deep green foliage and neat habits, rarely ever dropping debris. The Kusumaki tends to grow in a straight up and down fashion which with appropriate pruning can be thickened. As a result it makes a good tree to keep as a hedge and is commonly used for topiaries. Here is a guide explaining how to successfully grow a Podocarpus tree, specifically a Kusumaki.

Things You'll Need

• Peters 20-20-20 Fish emulsion fertilizer cakes
• 5 Gallon pot
• Kusumaki clippings
• Water
• Miracid
• Epsom salts
• Kitchen knife
• Potting soil
• Sand
• Compost or manure
• Chelated iron supplements
• Water mister

Instructions

1. Begin by taking a Kusumaki clipping--it should be a branch at least two feet long and is new growth--and shaving the bark off the bottom four inches with a knife. Leave the cutting to soak in water for one to two weeks until roots begin to form along the bared wood. You will want to keep the cuttings in full sunlight while they soak. Kusumaki can also be grown from seeds, but they are difficult to find.

2. Mix the different soil types into the 5-gallon pot. Line the pot with three or four inches of sand first, then pour in potting soil and manure in a 4:1 ratio. If you intend to keep your Kusumaki indoors you might wish to use compost instead of manure to save yourself from the smell, though manure is better for providing the tree with its nutritional requirements.

3. Push the rooted end of the clipping at least four inches into the soil and place it in direct sunlight. Mist the leaves daily but water the soil of the plant sparingly--only when the soil is dry to the touch. Keep the tree indoors if you live in a climate which regularly drops below 55 degrees Fahrenheit; otherwise feel free to leave the pot outside to speed its growth.

4. Feed the plant with Peters 20-20-20 fish emulsion and fertilizer cakes every two weeks in warm weather, every six in winter. Podocarpus likes slightly acid soil, so a dose of Miracid several times a year is helpful. These plants need additional iron and magnesium; iron is partially supplied by the Miracid. In addition, apply a dose of chelated iron twice yearly. To prevent magnesium deficiency, use two to three applications of Epsom Salts (1 tbs per gallon of water) a year.

5. Repot the plant every three or four years in the spring, placing the Kusumaki in a pot twice the size of the previous one. Make sure to trim off about one tenth of the exterior roots when repotting to enable new growth.

Tips & Warnings

• The Kusumaki can grow up to 10 meters in height after about ten years, but can be kept at hedge height with regular pruning.

• Be careful about over watering Kusumaki--they are prone to root rot in soils with poor drainage. The leaves will turn gray if you are over watering it.