Propagating Arborvitae

Fall is officially here but that doesn't mean it's time to stop propagating. In fact it means that many of the best plants are in their ideal state for hardwood and semi-ripe cuttings. Arborvitae is one plant that does well from cuttings taken from autumn to mid-winter.

A couple things to think about:

• Take Semi-ripe to ripe cuttings.  Semi-ripe cuttings have put on nearly a full season of growth and are beginning to develop thicker tissues.  Semi-ripe arborvitae cuttings work well for propagation since they have had a longer time to develop and store energy for rooting. They also don't lose water as quickly as greenwood cutting would. Semi-ripe and hardwood cuttings root slower but more reliably than greenwood cuttings.
• The cuttings need to be kept moist. Just a little damp and not soaked. Anytime a cutting dries out it is a death sentence for the hopeful plant to be.

And here is how I took my arborvitae cuttings:

First I selected the right type of cutting. I took about 5 different semi-ripe cuttings looking for wood that was mostly brown in color on the outside. Each cutting has several branching leaves extending from the main stem.

Then I peeled back any lower leaves and branches. This removed some of the material the cuttings would need to maintain from the plant for more efficient water use. I peeled back the leaves rather than cut them to actually create wounds for the cutting to get more water through. It also increases the areas for calluses to form which are where the roots will grow.

Next I added the rooting hormone treatment. I use a powder rooting hormone from Greenlight but there are many products out there that are effective. Just make sure you place the hormone in a separate cup or container before dipping the cutting in otherwise you may contaminate the original container of hormone powder.

Then I stuck the cuttings into my moist sand medium and placed the whole container into a clear plastic bag. I set the container on a windowsill where it will receive filtered light over the next six-eight weeks. If there is too much moisture in the bag all I need to do is open it for a little while.

Will the arborvitae root? They should but we'll have to wait and see!


More on plant propagation through cuttings.
10 Easy Plants to Propagate
5 More Easy Plants to Propagate