As always I’m excited to get new plants through plant propagation and I’m pretty excited to add 5 new dwarf arborvitae to the collection! I bought the ‘Little Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja occindentalis) last fall on the discount rack and planted two of them in the birdbath garden on either side of the pathway to the bench spot. The idea was to create a formal look to the small pathway by placing symmetrical plantings flanking the path. ‘Little Giant’ is a small rounded arborvitae that gets about 4′ in size.
How Long Does it Take to Root Arborvitae?
I took the arborvitae cuttings in August and they took about 8-10 weeks to get to this stage. Right now they only have small tiny roots emerging from the nodes. I transferred the rooted cuttings into 4 inch pots with a soil mix to grow on longer before planting.
Can You Root Arborvitae in Winter?
Arborvitae can be successfully rooted over the winter but rooting tends to be slower. The advantage of taking winter cuttings of arborvitae is that they need a lot less maintenance. The cut ends will begin callusing and you will only need to maintain the moisture levels for your cuttings. They will not dry out as fast as growing season cuttings will. You want to increase rooting speed you can adjust the speed of rooting by adding bottom heat with a seedling heat mat. For cuttings over the winter leave them in their potting medium until they have some good root growth in the spring.
How Long Does it Take for Arborvitae to root?
It depends on timing but generally you should have roots in 6 to 8 weeks. I have left cuttings alone for a whole season before replanting with very good success. If you do your cuttings in the winter you should have roots forming a few weeks into warmer weather. I recommend always to leave the cuttings alone until you see roots emerging from the drainage holes of the pots you are using. That’s usually a good sign that they are ready to transplant.
Here is a more complete step by step post on Arborvitae Propagation.
I’m hoping to take cuttings from our ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae as well as several other evergreens soon (possibly ‘Otto Luyken’ Laurel, ‘Golden Globe’ arborvitae, and boxwoods).
Plant Propagation: The Basics of Cuttings
One of the most interesting and rewarding parts of gardening is making new plants. Whether from seed, cuttings, or division it is exciting to watch new plants grow into your landscape. For me I really enjoy taking cuttings. If you have never done a cutting…
How to Save Seeds of Echinacea (Coneflower)
Updated on 11/23/2024 Fall is that time of year when gardeners begin the process of cleaning up the garden but also is the time when we begin to think of next year and saving seeds. One of the my favorite plants is echinacea and I…
How to Propagate Asiatic Lilies From Leaves
Asiatic lilies are a plant that in the right conditions can develop roots from leaf cuttings. Not all plants work this way but some lilies develop bulbils from the leaf area. This technique below uses that trait to help stimulate root growth from the ends…
The Care and Propagation of Japanese Dappled Willows
For many years now I have really enjoyed the beauty of our Japanese dappled willows (Salix integra). Japanese dappled willows (or tri-colored willows) are gorgeous shrubby willows that grow up to around 10ft tall. These willows are known for their variegated foliage that emerges initially…
Plant By Plant Guide of How to Propagate Plants
Here is a little guide on various plants that you can propagate in your home garden. I’ve included the types of propagation where I’ve been successful (seeds, Layering, Division, Cuttings, etc.). If I can do it so can you! The links in the tables below…
Viburnum and Spirea Cuttings
Last summer I took cuttings from one of my viburnums and a couple spireas. They have a good start this year and are beginning to put on new growth. The viburnum came from a softwood cutting that was about 3-4 nodes long. I need to…
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I had no idea you could root arborvitae. What a great idea. My arborvitae got a bit crispy in the heat and drought this year. I may need this to start new ones off the one that looks the best. Good luck with all your cuttings.
I have Lemon Geraniums and magenta Coleus that I am going to propagate. Both originally came from cuttings and are doing very well in my Southern California garden!
I am going to try this. Never attempted rooting arborvitae.
I remember being quite excited having successfully intuited and laid out our materials needs and I used Alex’s figures for what we would need concerning labor. I had shopped the plant list, found reasonable soil and compost suppliers and received much praise from the owner for my contribution. I was positively aglow and barely able to contain my enthusiasm for the project.