How to Propagate & Wound Cryptomeria Japonica
- 1). Cut a 6-inch shoot from the Cryptomeria and immediately wrap it in a moist paper towel. Place it in a plastic bag and seal it.
- 2). Fill a 4-inch planting pot with a mixture of 90 percent peat moss and 10 percent sand. Pour water over the pot and stir until the planting mix is saturated. Use a pencil to poke a planting hole in the mix and then set the pot aside until all the water has drained.
- 3). Remove the foliage from the lower third of the Cryptomeria cutting. Use a sharp knife to remove 1/2 inch of the outer bark on adjacent sides of the bottom of the cutting. Wounding the cutting like this stimulates rooting by promoting cell division, according to horticulturists with Washington State University.
- 4). Dip the wounded end of the cutting into the rooting hormone until the wounded portion is completely covered with powder. Stick the cutting into the prepared planting hole to within 1/2 inch of the foliage at the top of the cutting.
- 5). Place the heat mat in an area that receives filtered sunlight and set the temperature to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Enclose the cutting in the plastic bag, seal it and place it on the heat mat.
- 6). Open the bag once a day to mist the cutting with water from a spray bottle. Check the soil at that time to make sure it hasn't dried out.
- 7). Remove the cutting from the bag and the heat mat when it has rooted. Gradually acclimate it to brighter sun over the course of two weeks and keep the soil moist. Transplant it outdoors when the roots reach 1/2 inch in length.