How to Propagate Our First Christmas Tree
If you love your Christmas tree and want to keep it, consider propagating new trees from cuttings taken from it. Be prepared to do serious work; the process of propagating a tree is challenging, time consuming and not always successful. However, with a little luck and a lot of care, you will be rewarded with more than a new tree --- you'll also have the pride of knowing that you grew it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Christmas tree
- Pruning shears
- 1-gallon pots
- 2-to-3-inch square pots
- Greenhouse or other wet, humid environment
- Rooting material
- 20-20-20 plant fertilizer
Instructions
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Select your tree carefully. Because Leyland cypress trees are sterile, they make good choices. The University of Georgia's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health advises that you get a tree that has a natural Christmas tree form. Look for green foliage, and pay special attention to the tree's age. Trees that are not yet 10 years old are generally the most successful at rooting.
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Take multiple cuttings from the tree immediately. Fresh cuttings have a stronger chance of growing. Each cutting should be 6 to 8 inches long, and the lower parts of the stems should be slightly brown.
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Clean and sterilize a nursery pot for each cutting that you intend to root. The pots should have ample drainage. When the pots are dry, fill them with Perlite or other rooting material.
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Prune each cutting to six inches and strip the leaves from the bottom two inches of the branch. Plant one cutting in each pot. Do not bury the leaves.
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Keep the cuttings in a greenhouse or other warm, humid environment, watering and misting them frequently. Once they begin to root, transplant them into gallon-sized pots and fertilize them weekly with a 20-20-20 fertilizer solution.
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When late spring arrives, replant your trees outdoors.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not have access to a greenhouse, you can keep your plants humid and warm by draping plastic over them.
Cuttings taken during the late winter months have the best chance of developing into trees. Because you will not be taking your cuttings at the best time, compensate by attempting to root more cuttings than you think you will need.
Do not root your trees in field soil. Wet field soil does not provide the aeration the cutting needs to root.
Do not replant the trees outdoors before late spring, even if they seem ready. Trees planted before then are susceptible to frost damage.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
