Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Easiest way to propagate junipers?, 1 by conifers

conifers wrote:
You can take turgid (semi-hardwood - water the plant heavily the night before and take cuttings early in the morning) cuttings in June and July. Professional growers I know of use straight perlite and have them on a mister that's programmed for every fifteen minutes. They also use bottom heat @ 70 degrees F. At home, you can still take the cuttings (June-August 1) without a mist system and can grow them in a humid greenhouse not reaching over 80 degrees, or indoors under fluorescent lighting using a potting media of 50/50 perlite/peat, a rooting hormone such as 'Hormex #8' or 'Dip and Grow' and if you choose not to use a greenhouse (I can't keep mine under 80 for example) - place the cuttings in a bagged flat, container, etc. using a white trash bag or clear trash type of a bag...whatever, and keep them bagged for one month periodically letting the air out and replenishing with new; then, after a month remove the bag all together and mist them several times a day (4-5 times) - USE BOTTOM HEAT - and don't keep the soil moist all the time. That too is another factor that helps these root. You'll want the soil to dry up between waterings or not remain constantly moist. Drier but not bone dry is perfect for Junipers.

That's for summer.

For winter, follow the same instructions and take either semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings (removing needles at the base of the cutting is all that is need to 'scar' the cutting before it is dipped in a rooting hormone) in December usually. January-late February is fine as well.

You can use these instructions for Hemlock, Arborvitae, Metasequoia, Chamaecyparis pisifera, Hinoki Cypress, some Picea's such as all the Picea glauca 'Conica' cultivars (photo), etc.

Remove the bottom 1/3 of the needles on the cutting, dip, cover, and wait, wait, wait. You'll love working with Junipers - LOL! They hurt.

If you don't have bottom heat, that's ok. You'll still get many to root.
It's just such a great asset for growing it all, you know..

Also, initially spraying the cuttings and top of soil with a fungicide labled for such is a real good idea. And be sure to remove any cuttings that show disease immediately. Cuttings also that become droopy in appearance, they need more mist...

Then this is a Picea glauca 'Conica' cultivar for example of which all these can be produced and are produced professionally by cuttings. I forget what else, but there are a few other Picea's that root as cuttings. Platycladus orientalis too can be rooted, but I get extremely poor results from some reason. Dirr - does say they are difficult (to root) :) Take Care, Dax

Picea glauca 'Arneson's Blue Variegated'