Many people are sure that it is impossible to propagate conifers by cuttings. But this is not true. You can even grow a spruce from a cutting, although this is difficult, since the rooting percentage is low. But thuja branches take root relatively easily.
If you have a plant on your property that you would like to propagate, you can try to do it yourself.
Step one: cutting
Cuttings are very simple. You need to take a small branch and tear it off from the central trunk of a large branch.
This must be done from top to bottom so that a “heel” is formed at the point of detachment.
Step two: preparing the soil mixture
The main requirement for the soil for rooting is that it should be light. The ideal soil mixture is peat, vermiculite and sand, taken in equal quantities.
Step three: planting
First of all, you should remove the excess branches from the bottom, and cut the remaining ones at the top in half. The fact is that the green part evaporates moisture, so you need to reduce the evaporation area. However, you can't remove the greenery completely, since the plant needs photosynthesis to survive.
The cutting is deepened into the soil by 3-4 cm. Before this, it is recommended to dip the “heel” in a rooting agent to stimulate the appearance of roots.
After the cutting is placed in the soil, it needs to be watered.
Step Four: Waiting
Thuja roots may appear in a month or two. You need to be patient and make sure that the soil does not dry out.
The cuttings should be kept under a mini-greenhouse, which is easiest to construct from a cut-off plastic bottle. To avoid the need to regularly ventilate the greenhouse, you should make several holes in the bottle in advance with a hot nail.
The thuja should be in a bright place, but the sun should not shine on it. This can lead not only to burns of the needles, but also to the formation of a large amount of condensation.
After the thuja has taken root, the bottle should be removed from it. It is better not to plant the seedling in open ground in the first year.
It is recommended to keep it in a container for 1 year so that it begins to grow actively. Otherwise, the immature plant will suffer from adverse weather conditions.
In summer, the thuja can be taken outside, but you will have to make sure that the soil does not dry out. In winter, it is better to keep it in a cool room where there is enough light.
