Content
Coniferous trees are used to decorate gardening areas or personal plots. They look impressive, complement landscape compositions, and are also unpretentious in care due to the characteristics of the culture. Control over the development of coniferous trees or shrubs continues throughout the first decade after planting. At this time they need feeding. In addition, owners of coniferous trees can independently breed them to enrich their own collection. Cuttings of conifers in winter are successful for juniper, cypress, thuja and some varieties of spruce.
Pros and cons of propagating conifers by cuttings at home
To grow conifers, one of the selected schemes is used: they can reproduce by division, seeds, and cuttings. Experts consider cuttings to be one of the most effective methods of crop propagation. Advantages of self-propagation by cuttings:
- the opportunity to obtain a copy of the selected mother plant;
- ease of the procedure;
- the ability to fully control the process.
A disadvantage of cuttings may be the species feature of the selected tree.
Thuja is an evergreen shrub that takes root well after cuttings. Young shoots completely repeat the varietal characteristics of the mother plant, which is why thuja is considered especially suitable for cuttings.
Juniper is one of the representatives of the Cypress family, which is undemanding and grows in different climatic conditions. Cuttings are suitable for tall varieties. Junipers creeping along the ground are propagated by layering.
Cypress is an evergreen conifer that is propagated by cuttings and layering. It takes root well in the soil, it is almost never sent for growing, and during the winter the shoots are able to develop a strong root system.
Fir, varietal species of pine and sequoia are almost impossible to root on your own. For breeding in nurseries, grafting and layering are used.
Information! For cuttings, choose adult plants whose age does not exceed 10 years. Old trees produce shoots with low germination rates.
When is it better to propagate conifers by cuttings?
Cuttings of shoots from the mother tree are permissible at any time of the year. The safety of the genetic material does not depend on the timing of cuttings. Experts are of the opinion that the best time for cuttings is winter. In the first ten days, sap flow processes in trees are activated.
During the period that passes from the moment of harvesting before winter until the start of planting, coniferous plants have time to take root well.In summer, strong, lignified seedlings are planted on the site.
Propagation of conifers by cuttings before winter
Harvesting of conifers is carried out before the onset of winter. This increases the plant's chances of successful spring and summer planting.
To carry out cuttings of conifers before winter, select the upper shoots or tops. The length should not exceed 20 cm. After cutting, the cuttings are cleared of needles, leaving only part of the bark. If the bark separates in some places, it is completely removed.
Rooting conifers with cuttings before winter is possible in several ways or by mixing them:
- with water;
- on the sand;
- under the film.
The simplest and most effective way is to root conifers using water. It is not suitable for all types of plants. Shoots of pines, fir, and cypress trees do not take root well using the water method. Thuja and juniper send out shoots quite quickly.
Propagation of conifers by cuttings in autumn
You can grow conifers by cuttings in the fall. Autumn cuttings differ little from winter cuttings. When using soil, the shoots are left on the terrace or veranda and brought into a warmer room before the onset of winter.
Propagation of conifers by cuttings in summer
For summer cuttings of conifers, the method of rooting in boxes is suitable. In summer, shoots need to be watered frequently due to hot weather. In the fall they are moved to the garden bed or put indoors for the winter to be planted the following season.
Propagation of conifers by cuttings in spring
Spring cuttings of conifers are carried out very rarely. Experts believe that this period is not suitable for rooting. The shoots spend the summer outside; in the winter they need room warmth.
Rules for preparing cuttings of conifers
The result of breeding conifers by cuttings in winter depends on the choice of material.When examining an ephedra, suitable branches are selected based on the following characteristics.
- The shoots should not be younger than 1 year, while branches of 3 years of age are considered the best option for breeding before winter.
- The shoots must be externally developed, look strong, and have no flaws.
- The length of shoots for junipers, cypresses, thujas should not exceed 15 cm, the length for spruce and fir - up to 10 cm.
For cuttings, choose a cloudy day and make the cut in the morning. In order to have a good idea of the sequence of actions during the propagation of conifers by cuttings, many breeders watch videos with master classes by specialists. This is justified for the reason that the success of further rooting depends on the quality of the cuttings and the choice of shoot.
How to root conifers from cuttings
Rooting, which is carried out before winter, consists of several successive stages.
- First, the stalk is cut or broken off. In this case, a piece of wood with remnants of bark should remain at the base.
- A fresh cut is powdered with a root-type biostimulator. This will help the cuttings take root faster.
- A suitable container with high sides is selected for the seedling, then it is filled with wet sand. Before planting, it is spilled with a weak solution of manganese.
- A depression is made in the sand. It is convenient to use a wooden stick with a diameter of at least 6 - 8 cm.
- The shoots are buried in holes at a distance of 3 - 5 cm from each other.
- The soil is compacted so that there are no voids left inside.
- The container is covered with plastic film or a plastic cap. This helps create a greenhouse effect inside the container. Thanks to this, the soil will be moistened in a timely manner.
Plantings are removed to shaded areas where the temperature is constantly maintained at at least +22 °C.
Many people use rooting cuttings in water before winter.
- The prepared material is released into a root growth biostimulator solution for 12 hours.
- At the same time, sphagnum moss is prepared. It is soaked in water, then the excess water is squeezed out.
- The moss is laid out on plastic film up to 10 cm wide and up to 1 m long.
- The cuttings are placed on the moss so that the tip of the shoot is visible above the tape.
- The film with moss is rolled up like a snail, pressing tightly to the surface.
- The prepared snail is tied with a tourniquet and placed in a bag with a small amount of water.
This design can be hung from a window as a flowerpot. After rooting, the seedlings are planted in prepared soil.
Growing conifers from cuttings
Further care for conifers includes several rules:
- After planting for rooting, the shoots need regular moistening. Once a week they are sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle. The soil should not be over-moistened or over-dried.
- For full development, the culture requires a temperature regime between +18 and +22 °. Frost-resistant species will feel comfortable at temperatures from +16 °C.
- Shoots need regular ventilation. To do this, the boxes are opened for several hours every day, gradually increasing the period of time.
- Plants are fed with special preparations for conifers 1-2 times during the winter.
- To saturate the soil with air, regularly loosen the soil.
Many breeders plant coniferous plants after rooting in closed greenhouses. It should be taken into account that young plants at this stage need warm soil. The soil index should not be lower than +25 °C, the indoor air temperature can fluctuate from +18 to +20 °C. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the humidity: at this stage its indicator should be higher than usual.
There are several signs by which you can determine that mistakes have been made in caring for conifers:
- Redness or browning of the needles indicates the presence of a fungal infection (this can be caused by excess moisture or planting in soil that has not been disinfected);
- The shedding of formed young needles is a signal of a lack of nutrients and possible acidification of the soil.
Planting conifers by cuttings in open ground
Despite the fact that when conifers are propagated by cuttings for the winter, the shoots have time to become sufficiently strong, some of them require growing. This is the name for planting on areas of open ground for a period of time that passes before planting in a permanent place of growth.
Sometimes young conifers can remain in cultivation for 2 - 3 years. To do this, choose protected areas that can be additionally covered in winter, during frosts.
There is another way to grow coniferous seedlings - to school. It is suitable for growing conifers from cuttings that were obtained in large quantities before winter.
On a school plot with dimensions of 1.5 by 1.5 m, you can plant up to 100 specimens. About 30 - 35 pieces will be ready for planting in a permanent place of growth.
Young coniferous plants are transplanted into the school using a transshipment method.If they took root with the help of moss, then it will be enough to separate part of the moss and bury it in the prepared hole.
After planting, arcs are pulled over the shoots and covered with special industrial material. This is necessary for protection from direct rays of the sun, which can cause burns during the adaptation stage, as well as for protection from draft winds.
For planting in a permanent place, choose strong coniferous seedlings with a developed root system. Before this, 2-3 winters may pass after cuttings. This is not surprising, because we are talking about growing trees that will exist for about 30 - 40 years or more. After planting in an area where trees will grow continuously, control over growth and development is noticeably reduced. Trees need regular but not frequent watering, as well as 2 - 3 feedings per year.
Conclusion
Cuttings of conifers in winter is an approach that provides guaranteed results. Shoot formation before the start of winter has its own characteristics; this is due to the movement of sap through the tree. Therefore, cuttings separated from the mother plant in winter are able to take root quickly and easily.
