Juniper Squamata - Propagation

[BonsaiBlade12]

Hi All,

I'm really keen on propagating juniper squamata's from my own bonsai, I would love to hear people's experiences and knowledge on the following topic.

How long does it take ?

When to do it ?

What potting mixes used and the method to propagate ?

Ps. Propation via cuttings.

If there's any other form, I'd love to hear about it.

Regards,

[shibui]

Squamata is relatively easy from cuttings.
They can be struck any time of year but rooting is quicker in spring and early summer. There is no real timeline. Some will root in around 4 weeks but some seem to take ages. Some shimpaku cuttings can take 2 years to grow roots but I always get a few quicker ones from each batch
Use a propagation mix that is inert, holds some water but also lots of air. Potting mix and soil are both full of bugs and diseases so only really tough species will root in soil. You will get much better results with a propagation mix which has been pasturised to kill diseases. Easiest is to buy a bag from your plant shop or the green shed. Home made propagaton mix is usually around 50/50 peat and coarse sand or peat and perlite. Cuttings will also strike in straight sand or straight perlite if you are able to control watering properly.

Humidity control is important. The cuttings have no roots so cannot replace mater they lose on warm days. Misting helps reduce water loss. Covering the cuttings with a plastic bag or keeping the pots of cuttings inside a plastic tent or box is ideal. The large clear plastic storage boxes are great if you do a few batches at a time. Put a few cm of water in the box then some bricks or something so the pots don't sit in water. Add your pots of cuttings and put the lid on to maintain a high humidity environment.
Check every few days to see if the pots need water and wait for roots to emerge out the bottom of the pots.

Stem cuttings are usually used for junipers. Anything from 5cm long to 20 cm should work OK. I usually try for stems that are 3-5mm thick but any live piece has the potential to strike. Strip off lower 2/3 of shoots and foliage. dip the base of the cuttings in a rooting hormone to speed up and increase rooting rates. Just shoving them into the mix can damage the end and rubs off the hormones you just applied so use a stick to make holes for the cuttings.

You should be able to find some online resources with pics or video to show how all this works. Juniper cuttings are pretty much the same as most other stem cuttings.
Cuttings will take time and may not always work as well as hoped but it is a rewarding experience to propagate your own new plants so best of luck.

[Grant Bowie]

In the past I used a plastic box on the ground under shade with the bottom open to the ground. I put in a couple of inches of 5mm blue metal then put in long cut off branches and covered them with a light cover of more gravel. They struck all along the branches and yielded lovey, strange shaped cuttings. They grew quite well even while they were in the box.
The gravel provides humidity keeping media, and good root forming material.

Grant

[BonsaiBlade12]

Thank you all for wisdom on the following topic,

I will give it a go the next time my Juniper grows for pruning.