How to Grow Ornamental Trees from Cuttings

Ornamental trees, whether they are blue atlas cedars, Leland cypresses, cherry trees or pines, need to be propagated carefully and with great attention to the needs of each individual tree. Propagating a tree requires some gardening experience, as well as a gardener who is willing to put a good deal of work into growing a single tree. Each tree that is propagated needs to be grown indoors for at least a year; it is best to purchase cuttings in the spring and transplant them outside the following spring.

Purchasing Decorative Tree Cuttings

Visit a garden center or tree nursery to obtain a cutting to root for a lawn or garden. Cuttings should come from a tree that is between 6 and 10 years old, as trees of this age produce cuttings that are more likely to thrive and survive their first crucial years. Growing several cuttings at once can be done, although it requires more space inside a house.

Keep cuttings wrapped in moist paper towels or newspaper until it is time to put them in their initial planters. A cutting left in the open air will dry out and die quickly, so it is of great importance to keep each cutting damp. Use a spray bottle to mist the cuttings and their paper towels every so often until they are planted.

Preparing a Planter for Tree Cuttings

Each tree cutting should be placed in a two and a half square inch planter for the first one to three months of its life. This planter is small enough to hold the cutting adequately while still giving it enough room. After two to three months, cuttings can be transplanted to a larger planter; quart to gallon sized planters work best.

Fill the first planter with an even mixture of soil, Perlite and sterile gardening sand. Ask about the specific soil needs of each tree species at the nursery from which the tree came; some types of ornamental trees require different mixtures of planting media.

Planting a Tree Cutting

Stick a pencil into each planter to create a small hole for the trees. Before placing the tree in the hole, dip one end of the cutting into a hormone powder. This powder helps to stimulate root growth in plant cuttings, and contributes to the success of a cutting.

Tap the end of the cutting to dislodge excess hormone powder before placing the cutting into its planter. Pack the planting media around the cutting so that it stands straight. Spray the soil in the planter with a spray bottle. The soil should be kept moist at all times. Do not over-water the cutting, however, as young roots can easily be drowned by too much water.

How to Grow Ornamental Tree Cuttings in the Garden

Keep the tree cuttings in a room with a controlled temperature of 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and a high humidity. If the humidity of the room cannot be raised, cover the top and sides of the planter and cutting with plastic sheeting to create a makeshift greenhouse. Leave at least one side of the tree exposed.

Cuttings need four to six hours of sunlight each day, and should be kept under an artificial grow light for at least the first two months of their growth time. Adding the grow light during the winter months will help the trees continue to grow before they are transplanted outside in the spring.