How larch reproduces: two ways to get a new tree

Tell us how larch reproduces? The neighbors in the country house just have a gorgeous tree, I just got sick with it. Last year I approached the owners and asked for a cutting. They gave a few, I planted them, but none survived. Either I did something wrong, or this method is not suitable for larch. How then can you get it? We don't sell such crops, but we really want to.

Larch occupies a special place among conifers. In its appearance, it does not stand out among its relatives and pleases the eye with lush green needles. But there is one nuance: they crumble for the winter. So it turns out that coniferous larch is a deciduous culture. But it has other advantages: the tree is able to grow where others do not survive. Moist and acidic soils are not afraid of her, and some species even feel good in partial shade. The tree is not afraid of drafts, frost and sudden changes in temperature. It rarely gets sick, while the annual growth can reach 1 m.However, this unpretentious culture still has some nuances of cultivation, and they relate to reproduction. Unlike most conifers, larch reacts poorly to cuttings, but it is planted well with seeds. Knowing the subtleties of how larch reproduces, you can avoid annoying mistakes and get a good result.

So, larch can be propagated only by two methods:

• sowing seeds for seedlings;
• by rooting the layering.

Let's take a closer look at each method.

As for grafting, this method is almost never applied to larch due to its ineffectiveness. Cuttings are extremely reluctant and rarely take root, so there is no point in messing with them. It will be much more effective to sow seeds or dig in layers.

The subtleties of growing larch from seeds

The only caveat to seed propagation is that the seeds contain a lot of essential oils. Accordingly, they are difficult to germinate at home. But this process can be facilitated by stratifying them. To do this, in the fall, cones are collected, seeds are extracted from them and planted in containers with wet sand.

Crops must be kept in a cool place until spring. It can be a refrigerator or a closed loggia where it is not very cold.

With the arrival of spring, the crops are transferred to heat and covered with foil. They should sprout in less than a month. Then the shelter is removed. Overgrown plants dive. In the summer, larch seedlings can be taken out into the garden, but in the fall they need to be taken indoors. Young seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the age of 2 years.

How does larch propagate by layering?

This method is used for dwarf and creeping varieties in which the lower branches grow close to the soil. In natural conditions, this is how they reproduce. The result is good if everything is done correctly, namely:

• a branch is selected that grows as low as possible;
• bends down to the ground;
• fixed;
• sprinkles.

After about 4 months, the cuttings form their own root system. But he still has to survive the first winter together with the parent tree. And already next season, it will be possible to carefully cut off the young plant and transplant it to a permanent place.

Video about the propagation of larch seeds