Conifer
By Paradise
Staffordshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi i have a conifer planted by my Dad in his own garden when my son was born and transferred to my garden about 3 years later. Its 23 years old now and looks great outside but is brown and looks dead inside. its far too big for size of garden and needs to be cut down but has great sentimental value as my dad died 3 years ago. Is it possible to do cuttings from it and if so, how do I do that please? these will go into pots to put on the patio. Thank you. I have no idea what type of conifer it is.
17 Mar, 2009
Hi Paradise,
It is possible to take cuttings from conifers but the older the tree, the less the chances of rooting well.
You will need to take cuttings from new growth and take heel cuttings. The best time is from summer to fall for most species.
Heel cuttings require that a small piece of the bark is attached to the bottom of the cutting. It is a bit hard to explain here but if you google "cuttings from conifers" it comes up with several sites with photographs of how to take the cutting. You will need to use rooting hormone powder or gel.
Some species take longer to root than others and some are better propagated from seed such as the pine.
The cuttings will need to be in well draining compost. They don't like to be kept too wet but they shouldn't dry out either.
Keep the cuttings in a well lit area out of direct sunlight and cover them with a plastic bag or jar until roots form.
I hope this helps.
Gilli
17 Mar, 2009