Plant Doctor Archive

Propagating cypress

I HAVE been trying to propagate cuttings of 'Swane's Golden' cypress to no avail. I have recently read that the tree is difficult to grow from cuttings. I have collected some ripe cones which I have opened up to get the seeds. Should I plant these in seedraising mix or is there a requirement to pre-treat the seeds first? I'm also wondering if they will grow true to type, or revert to a green foliage form.

GROWING cypress species from cuttings is very difficult, even for experienced nurserymen (some of whom will not even waste time or effort trying). Many forms revert back to their original green colour and some will do nothing, just sitting there for a couple of years, even if looked after religiously. The keys for success appear to be good temperature control, commercial misting systems and a watchful eye.

My advice would be to cut your losses and buy plants from a garden centre instead. This may not be cheap if you need a large number of trees, but there are nurseries that sell small grade plants. If you want to try the seeds from your cones, by all means give it a go - and good luck.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.