Hi I am new to this forum and gardening language so this is my 1st post-so I hope someone can help me. I have a beautiful Monkey tree in my front yard that seems to be interfering with the septic system so it needs to be cut down, but boy is it healthy! From what I have read so far.... Is the only cutting that can work from the very top of the tree? I have never seen a monkey tree shrub....a few posts say that taking other side branches would produce those. Have you ever taken a cutting from this kind of tree before? I do not see any recent posts about this subject. Do I follow the instructions for a evergreen tree for cuttings? What is the best site to follow as from what I have read so far it seems I need to buy some kind of special solution. Since this is such a unique tree I was wondering if there is unique instructions? Thanks for any help you can give--it is such a beautiful tree that it would be a shame for it not have "babies". It must be under 40 years old as I do not think the house has been here more than 30 years and there is no cones for seedlings. I took great close ups today if you need a closer look as I do not know if it is a female or male tree but I understand that so far only matters for seedlings? Cindy ( Surrey BC)
Yep, only the lead shoot will make a cutting suitable for a new tree. Side shoots/branches will never develop a trunk. I've never taken a monkey-puzzle cutting; even when using the lead shoot, I gather that while possible to root, they're not easy. Might be simpler to buy a new plant. If you do want to try (no harm in doing so, if the tree has to go), it should (at least in theory!) be possible to make 3 or 4 cuttings out of the top of the lead stem. The other possibility of course, is to keep the tree and move the septic sysptem away from it.
Thank you for your quick response. Now my challenge is I have no idea on how to take a cutting and need step by step instructions. Is there a good instruction web site for us virgin gardeners? When I went to some web sites I did not know which catagory this this kind of tree fell into as is not mentioned specifically. Do I follow the evergreen tree instructions? You said I could take even 3 or 4 cutting off the same lead and it is quite long. Is there a special angel to cut it? How would I do that and keep the bud at the top? Or does that not matter? My landlords are coming to chop the tree tonight. Can I get the cuttings once the tree is chopped. Or is it important to get a latter and take it BEFORE the tree is cut down? Thanks for any help you can give me. I am willing to learn. Blessings Cindy
Not too sure - as mentioned, I've not done this myself, only going on rather minimal info that I've read. It should be OK to take the cuttings after felling; just cut the top metre or so off, and cut it into three or four equal lengths, and treat each one as a separate cutting. At a guess, bottom heat and perhaps misting will help, as will a rooting hormone. You may (not sure!) need to let the base of the cutting dry off a day or two before planting, to allow the white resin to set a bit to seal the end(s). Hoping someone else can comment too! Not sure about any special angels. Maybe the angel Gabriel? ;-) For the bud, obviously only the top cutting will already have a bud, but the others will (should!) develop new buds (they do that readily enough if the top gets cut on the tree).
Suggestions on site for how to take cuttings?? Thanks for some feedback but I still do not understand exactly what to do..... I have been reading sites like http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html to learn how to take cuttings. Is there a better one you can recommend as many of the words or foreign to me. As you can see spelling is not my strong suit either, at this point an angel would be helpful for directions....as I not sure what instructions to follow. Like do I cut these 4 sections straight across and take the last few strange needles off of each? Some sites say so many inches. As a monkey tree does not look like any of the photos on the site above, I have attached a couple photos I just took. Do I put only that bottom part in a growth hormone that I need to buy today? It seems like this Monkey tree is evergreen...but all the new words I am unclear what method to follow? There is another site and the info is totally different: http://www.bowhayestrees.co.uk/cuttings.htm Do I just do a search on all these methods bottom heat-misting-and root hormone? If I do not learn by tonight it will not be happening....so thanks for your time and suggestions. It is better to try and fail than to give up before I start:) I really appreciate your help in any way. Blessings Cindy
Take the top, and take some branch tips. The branch tips also have a limited amount of apical dominance, and if your leader tip does not make it, at least you will have other cuttings simultaneously instead of nothing. I have not rooted these, but in reading the branch structure of the tree, it would be a big surprise if a branch shoot would not become a leader. As you can see from whorls along the main limbs, each branch has the ability to produce more buds and more whorls.
Cut straight across will be as good as anything. Put the hormone on the bottom end of the cutting, and yes, trim off the bottom leaves where it is to be in the soil. Hi M.D. - the branch tips definitely won't develop a leader - that's unique to Araucaria. Other conifers, it would work, but not with this one.
What kind of hormone mixture do you recomend? How long before I put it in a pot with dirt? I will take numerous branches off the top and see what happens as other sites says that side branches produce shrubs not trees. See photos of the top of the tree. How far do you think I can go down to get cuttings? Thanks for your help. Cindy
Hi Cindy--few plants will root from stems that are older than one year...and your monkey puzzle is not a really easy plant to root. So, just suggesting that the only stem that has much hope of rooting would be the last years growth...which is the straight bit on top of the last cluster of side branches...would that be about a foot long or so? As Michael suggested you could try to make more than one cutting, at least a few inches of leaves plus a few inches cleaned of leaves to go into the soil per cutting. I would always tend to stick those cuttings immediately, but the sticky sap also mentioned might be a reason to let it airdry...not sure about that. The best thing you can do for the cutting is to get the soil nice and warm while keeping the leaf area cool. This might be a hard thing to accomplish without a dedicated propagation area like a professional uses. Problem this time of year is the stem will want to grow, without any roots...exhausting the reserves in the cutting before it has a chance to develop roots. This is why evergreens are often done in the fall, when topgrowth is unlikely, and roots have all winter to develop. Try to think of a way to warm the soil, and also keep the stems out of bright sun that will dry them out. "Bright shade" is the goal, along with that "warm bottom, cool top" concept to encourage roots before topgrowth.
Thanks so much for speaking a language that is clear for new gardners. I just bought some hormone powder to put on the bottom before I plant the top cuttings. Would bringing the cutting indoors out of direct sunlight where the tree is right now in the front yard keep the top cool and dirt warm as you suggested? Or I can move the cuttings to the back of the house where there is more shade....and only part sun. Or I could put each cutting only from the top of the tree in water with the hormone and see if the root system grows before I put the cutting directly in dirt. I will watch for the sap you talk about. It is not an easy tree to handle so I am planning on wearing gloves. Since I have extra pots I was going to try each of the top part of the tree seen on this photo attached. But it sounds like only the top lead one is worth it. Then cutting it into 3 or 4 parts. I will take photos of the process to help others if this works..." Thanks Cindy
Hey Cindy--the brightest light that is not direct sun is good...keeps the leaves from drying out too fast but lets that photosynthesis happen as well. I would put a clear plastic bag over the pot and cutting, but open it every morning to get rid of moisture condensing in there--don't want mold growing on stuff. The best heat is from the bottom, which commercially is done with heating wires or pipes under the pots. Tough to do in most houses...I'm coming up blank on this one! Maybe over a heat register but next to a window...Outdoors would be better as far as temps for the stem, keeping it from wanting to grow so much...but getting the soil warm would be harder...sigh! Yeah, gloves is absolutely necessary...I get poked even just getting near my little tree it seems!
I appreciate your input. The tree is supposed to be coming down today....so it really helps to have your experience and others. Would you put the cutting directly into soil after I have trimed some leaves and put on the Stim Root powder for hardwoods? Or would you put each cutting into purified water till you can see the root system happening, and then put into dirt. I bought some special dirt just for transplating trees. I have a great place in my office with a huge window and there is a place over some heat registers that my hybicus just loves as it is close by (and gave me huge flower yesterday the 1st since last year) And I could put the pot on the floor close by--or even directly over the register for a time being. I got 2 indoor pots yesterday 12inch easy grow that I am hoping these cuttings will be able to grow in your numerous years. I read about making the tent and I am doing that for some seeds that are growing just beside this window...so thanks for telling when to open the tent as I was not sure yet when my seedlings needed their plastic to come off...so I will make sure their is not condensation for mold growth for both. I used to live in a basement suite with no backyard for 13 years and now I have all this light and a huge yard and so have decided to garden for the 1st time in my life....and I have to tell you it is very exciting and I feel like a mother hen with all the eggs about to hatch:) Thanks again!! Blessings Cindy
That tree that's supposed to be cut down, doesn't look all that big... ....might be easier to just dig it up & relocate, than to go through the hassle of trying to propagate it with cuttings (low likelyhood of success....) Just my opinion.
