One of the most profound aspects of growing plants is how easily they can be propagated. Depending on the material, you can collect seeds, divide, layer, and take different types of cuttings. Cuttings are the best way to propagate a money tree, and if a friend has a plant you like, you can ask their permission to take a cutting. wire-haired.
Better yet, if you’re serious about breeding, try a razor blade. “We find a razor blade is even better than a scalpel for this job because it cuts so cleanly,” says Andy Jeanes of Raymond Evison WisteriaGuernsey-based breeder and grower, sells about 3.5 million wisteria plants each year in the UK and elsewhere.
“Obviously we have to cut more than that, because there is a failure rate. So we often have to use quite a few razor blades!” Andy jokes. “People who cut branches day after day can feel the maturity of the wood between their fingers, and they know whether it is really good material that is ready to propagate. I can’t explain it – it’s all about feel.”
Some species of money tree easier to propagate than others, Andy notes, and he recommends starting with the robust Group 1 types, which include Montana honeysuckle, C. high mountains And C. macropetalaAll of them root fairly easily. In addition to Group 1, he suggests that you “use older varieties like ‘Nelly Moser’ and ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’.”
You can take cuttings from honeysuckle throughout the growing season, but make sure you take cuttings from young, actively growing wood. “Don’t take cuttings from old wood: you want the cuttings to grow this season,” advises Andy. The cutting season at Raymond Evison ends around October, but at home, without the shelter of a commercial operation, this may be earlier.
Nodes on a plant are where leaves attach to the stem and shoots grow from, so the node is the part between two nodes that functions to extend the stem. Choose a piece of stem about 5cm long with a node at each end. Cut the stem just above the bottom node so that the node remains on the plant. Success depends on keeping the cutting alive while it directs its energy to the roots, so reduce the material above it to the minimum necessary. In the growing section above the top node of the cutting, remove one leaf, cut the second leaf in half, and cut off any stems that continue. “And that’s one cutting,” says Andy. He recommends taking about five cuttings, as not all may take.
The next step, says Andy, is to dip the base of each cutting into rooting hormone. Place the cuttings around the edge of a 9cm pot filled with moist, well-drained potting soil. “The moisture will help the plant survive while the roots develop, so cover it with a clear polythene bag like a tent and secure it with a rubber band,” he advises.
Place the pot on a bright windowsill – you don’t need ground cover – and after about six weeks, the plant should have roots. “Leave it in the pot until the roots are sticking out of the bottom. Then you can harden it off and plant it,” he says. “Root rot can cause failure, so once you’ve soaked it in compost, planted the cuttings, and placed the tent over the pot, don’t water again or water from the base. Just leave it alone. The humidity from the tent will be enough.”
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Well-drained potting soil, such as John Innes seed compost.
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9cm pot
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Transparent polythene bag
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Elastic band
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Old fashioned razor blade
The price of a commercial money tree depends on how easy it is to propagate. “If you cut 1,000 branches from a Montana honeysuckleyou might have 1,000 cuttings to grow,” Andy explains. “But C. armandii cost £20-25 per plant as cuttings have a fairly high failure rate.”
Propagating honeysuckle under the Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) regulations is also illegal and all Raymond Evison This labeled money tree. PBR can survive up to 25 years, so be careful to only propagate the older varieties if the propagation is not for personal use.
