‘Black Dragon’ cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica, USDA zones 6-9) is a beautiful evergreen tree for the garden. The foliage is a dark green with some twisting shapes that create an unusually contorted figure. It’s an amazing evergreen specimen for Japanese gardens or as focal points. This past spring I took some cuttings of our cryptomeria and this winter I found that they had finally rooted. Here is how I propagated our ‘Black Dragon’ Cryptomeria.
Rooting ‘Black Dragon’ Cryptomeria from Cuttings
In spring I made several cryptomeria cuttings about 3 inches long. I want to experiment with the length of the cutting in the future and see if longer cuttings may root faster. Then I placed the cuttings in a sand medium and put all of them under the shade of a tree. The shade slowed the transpiration of water and kept the cuttings from drying out too quickly.
Loss of water is one of the primary reasons for a cutting to fail.
I watered the cryptomeria whenever I watered my other cuttings with a light spray and checked on them periodically. Throughout the summer no roots formed. Several of the cuttings failed and then in January I checked this cutting and it had roots.
Since the root that formed is rather small I carefully put the cutting back into the sand mixture to let it form more roots. I’ll check it again in spring then pot it up. I’ll leave the other remaining cuttings alone until that point and hopefully have several cryptomeria cuttings to pot up at the same time.
Cryptomeria grows to about 10 feet tall and wide at maturity and prefers a full sun location.
You can see a little more of this cutting in the video below. I’ve cued it to the section on Cryptomeria.
Are you interested in learning more about plant propagation? Here are some past posts that may be interesting to you!
Stop Losing Cuttings! 10 Tips for Success with Hardwood Cuttings
Have you tried rooting hardwood cuttings only to have them rot or fail to grow? Don’t give up just yet. Hardwood propagation is one of the most rewarding ways to grow your garden for free, but there are a few “make or break” steps that determine your success. While you…
32 Plants You Can Propagate from Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood cuttings are cuttings that are taken from trees and shrubs that are fully mature, dormant stems. These cuttings are normally taken during the late fall or over winter several weeks before spring growth will begin. Hardwood cuttings differ from softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings. While those are taken from soft,…
Starting Tree Seeds Outdoors: A Simple Guide to Diverse Landscapes
Trees are the anchors of our landscapes. They enrich the soil, provide oxygen, offer shelter and food for wildlife, and deliver incredible seasonal beauty. My goal is to diversify our property by replacing invasive plants with a variety of beautiful, beneficial trees and shrubs. In two of my more recent…
How to Start Tree and Shrub Seeds in the Fall (Seed Prep)
Fall is the perfect time to start preparing tree and shrub seeds that need a period of cold weather before they’ll sprout. When seed starting tree and shrub seeds I use two techniques that help to trigger better germination rates. The first technique is simply soaking the seeds. The second…
With Dogwood Tree Cuttings Shorter Cuttings Work Best
A couple months ago I managed to root a dogwood tree from cuttings. Only 1 of 3 cuttings rooted but I still considered it a success. After all it was the first time I had managed to root a dogwood tree from a cutting. You would be happy to! Since…
How to Propagate a Dogwood Tree from Cuttings (Cornus florida)
I successfully rooted a Florida dogwood (Cornus florida) from a cutting! This is a tree that’s been tricky in the past for me to propagate, and I finally had some success I think is worth sharing. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly what worked, step-by-step instructions for how…
Discover more from Growing The Home Garden
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.