How to propagate myrtle at home by cuttings

The beautiful myrtle tree purifies the air in the room and has a beneficial effect on a person, soothes him. An experienced florist knows how to propagate myrtle at home. There are two main ways - cuttings and seed germination. These procedures will be of interest to everyone who already has a tree growing at home.

Propagation by cuttings

Many growers are interested in such a legendary and exotic plant as myrtle: reproduction at home by cuttings will not throw away all cut shoots, but give one of them a chance to live.

It is very easy to propagate myrtle.

Spring and summer are ideal for propagating myrtle by cuttings. May and August are best suited for this purpose, but the procedure can be carried out in other months. In warm weather, the cuttings will quickly root and grow. But in the fall, when it is rapidly getting colder, the branches have no chance of rooting, so at this time of the year it is impossible to propagate plants by cuttings. Winter planting is not for tropical trees.

Cuttings

Where to get the cuttings and how to prepare them:

1. Disinfect your garden shears or pruning shears to avoid introducing infection into the plant.
2. Cut off a strong, healthy shoot. You can cut off both green and woody shoots. But we must remember that green branches take root faster.
3. Separate a 12–15 cm long stalk from it and remove leaves from its lower half.
4. It is advisable to plant the branch immediately, because it can be stored for no longer than 24 hours. To do this, it is wrapped in a damp cloth.
5. A stalk of myrtle is treated with a root growth stimulant. You can put it in water for several hours in which this drug is dissolved.
6. Put drainage: perlite and vermiculite are poured into the bottom of the pot or box. You will need a pot with a drainage hole so that water does not accumulate near the roots.
7. Prepare the substrate: mix turf (30%), humus (20%), peat (30%) and sand (20%). If this is not possible, use greenhouse land.
8. The soil is poured abundantly with water, which must first be defended during the day.
9. The cuttings are carefully inserted into the ground to a depth of 3 cm.
10. The soil is compacted.
11. From above, the seedlings are covered with glass or a plastic bottle with a cut off neck.
12. The box is placed in a warm place, protected from sunlight and bright light.
13. Once a day, the greenhouse is removed and the myrtle is allowed to ventilate.
14. It is necessary to carefully observe how the young myrtle grows: the rooting of cuttings occurs within 1 month.

Rooting

There is also an alternative way to root myrtle. To do this, the cutting is placed in water close to the heat source (battery, heater). It will take root in 1.5 months.

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting:

1. At the bottom of the tub, rubble, broken brick or pebbles are poured.
2. On top of the second layer, expanded clay or other small drainage is laid.
3. A new substrate is being prepared: deciduous soil, vermicompost and perlite are mixed.
4. The seedling is placed vertically in the soil and the root collar is sprinkled with earth.
5. Water the soil with plenty of water. If at the same time it settles, you need to add a little more earth and water again.
6. The excess liquid must be drained and the condition of the drainage hole in the bottom must be checked.
7. Top up the soil with vermiculite.

A young sprout needs excellent care

After 2-3 years, the young myrtle tree will bloom.

Novice flower growers face a difficult choice of the best way to grow myrtle: cuttings are the fastest and most effective way to propagate this plant. The cut off shoots retain all the properties of the mother plant.

Seed propagation

Unlike cuttings, when propagated by seeds, a new plant will not retain the qualities and even varietal characteristics of the mother bush. Growing from seeds will take a lot of work and time, but may not be successful because not all of them will germinate.

It is necessary to choose seeds not older than 1 year, because over time they lose their qualities and may not sprout. You can buy myrtle seeds from the store or get them from the berries of an adult tree.

In order for them to actively germinate, they are stratified. This is done in winter - in January or February:

• Calcify the sand over a fire or pour with a solution of potassium permanganate, and then treat it with fungicides.
• Soak the seeds for 24 hours in a glass with potassium permanganate.
• Pour wet sand and seeds into a small box or bag, mix and refrigerate for 2 months. They should be there at a temperature of 0 .. + 4 ° C.
• Sometimes they are ventilated on the windowsill. You can keep the mixture in the refrigerator at night and put it in an open place during the day.

Stratified seeds can be sown in the soil in March or April. It is in this way that this plant reproduces in the wild.

How to propagate myrtle by seeds:

1. Prepare soil from peat, humus, sand and turf.
2. Sow seeds and cover them with a thin layer of earth (the thickness should be about 1–2 cm).
3. Cover with glass or transparent plastic wrap and place on the windowsill. It is desirable that the room temperature is not lower than +20 .. + 25 ° C.
4. Once every 1-2 days, the box must be opened for ventilation.
5. Seedlings, which have grown by 2 leaves, must be dived. Each plant is planted in a separate small pot. The top of the seedling must be pinched so that the crown grows thickly.

Seed propagation

Seedlings are transplanted into large pots after 1–1.5 months. They are carefully removed from the containers and, together with the earthy clod, are transferred to new boxes. Then you need to add some more soil.

Myrtle will only bloom in the 5th year after sowing. Long-awaited white flowers will appear on the branches.

Skilled growers know how to propagate myrtle by seed and can grow a tree from a tiny seed.

After the pick

Reproduction difficulties

With any method of reproduction, young sprouts need good care. Every year they are transplanted into a more spacious container. Each new pot should be 3.5 cm wider and deeper than the old one. The transplant is done in early spring, in February or March, until the myrtle has bloomed. The width of a pot suitable for an older plant is easy to measure: it should be 2 times smaller than the crown of the tree in diameter.

Starting from the second year after planting, the myrtle needs to be pruned. It is necessary not only to remove dried, damaged, diseased shoots, but also to form a bush. Pruning heavily will help rejuvenate the tree. All myrtles must be trimmed, regardless of their height. At home, they rarely grow taller than 2 meters. It is advisable to trim the crown in the spring. You can not carry out pruning and transplanting in a row, you must wait a while.

Very often, flower growers are faced with problems when propagating this plant. Myrtle leaves can turn yellow, dry out, fall off. Branches also sometimes wither. This is because the winter air is too dry. To help the tree, it is sprayed with a growth stimulant solution and a greenhouse is made - covered with plastic or glass dishes.The dried parts of the myrtle must be removed.

Young plant after transplanting

Propagating myrtle is quite simple and easy. It doesn't take a lot of time and effort. The result will delight the grower: these plants purify the air and bloom incredibly beautifully. It is not for nothing that in the culture of many peoples, myrtle is considered a sacred tree, a symbol of love and purity. Many people believe that this tree brings peace and prosperity to the house.