Do you find redbud trees so fascinating that you just want to make more of them? Maybe you’ve just recently discovered how to make cuttings of a plant and are thinking of doing the same for your redbud.
However, the question lies, can you grow a redbud tree from a branch?
Can You Grow a Redbud Tree From Cuttings?
The answer to ‘can you propagate a redbud from a branch?’ is a surprising yes. However, there are some factors you’ll have to consider before you decide to take cuttings from your redbud tree.
While it’s certainly a possibility that a redbud cutting can turn into a plant, the chances are quite slim. That said, you should take more than one branch, or collect several specimens to increase your chances of a redbud cutting growing roots and turning into a full-fledged shrub or small tree.
Also, a mature redbud tree is less likely to produce offspring via branch cuttings, as are stems that have produced flowers or fruits. You’re still very welcome to try as long as it won’t hurt your redbud’s vigor or form.
The best time to grow a redbud tree from cuttings is during summer when the tree has put out leaves and after flowering. You’ll have plenty of softwood material to try and turn into a redbud tree.
How to Make Cuttings From a Redbud Tree
Prepare the Equipment
Before you go out and make cuttings, you’ll want to make sure you have all the needed materials and equipment on hand.
A pair of sharp pruning shears, a medium made of sand, perlite, and garden soil, rooting hormone and a 6-inch pot is what you will need for this process. Later down the line, you may need a spray bottle or a plastic bag to create a greenhouse environment.
Inspect and Pick a Viable Redbud Branch
The next step involves checking your redbud tree for this year’s new growth, or ‘softwood’. Ideally, you’ll want to take a branch that did not produce flowers or fruits during the spring season, as they are more likely to form roots.
Once you have one in sight, take four to six-inch branch cuttings from the branch, then move on to the next and collect some more. It’s recommended that you take more and from different spots to increase your chances of getting a new redbud sapling down the line.
Cut, then Plant in a Pot
Prepare your pot with a well-draining mix of sand, perlite, peat moss, and garden soil. Water the medium well before you do the cuttings. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage holes as well so excess water can come out.
Turn your attention to the cutting- remove all the lower leaves so only a few stand at the top. The leaf nodes will serve as the areas where roots will grow. Dip the cut ends in a rooting hormone (powder or liquid) before placing it on the 6-inch pot. Do this for all the cuttings, and place around four to six of them in a single container.
Cover, Mist, and Wait
You can stick the branches into the soil medium and wait until roots or new growth begins to appear. This may take anywhere between a month to two or three before you see signs of progress.
It’s recommended that you place the cuttings where it can get bright, indirect light and mist them every day to keep the redbud branches hydrated. Alternatively, you can cover it with a plastic bag to create a ‘greenhouse’ effect that traps moisture in. You can check after four weeks to see if roots have formed by tugging gently.
Transplant your new redbud to a 10-inch container with garden soil after two weeks and place it under light shade. Then after a month, you can transplant it to the ground and in a sunny spot in your yard or garden.
Is Taking Redbud Cuttings the Best Way to Propagate Redbud Trees?
Taking redbud cuttings from an established plant is one way to propagate a redbud tree. The other method is by collecting the seeds once the pods have turned brown in the summer, and then planting them directly into the ground after it’s been prepared in spring.