Propagating Miniature Arborvitae

In anticipation of my upcoming line of Holiday Troughs I recently purchased some miniature conifers that take on the look of Christmas trees. (More on my Holiday Troughs soon.) I have become especially enamored with the Wansdyke Silver Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Wansdyke Silver').  The Evergreen Plant Nursery describes it this way:

An absolutely gorgeous arborvitae that has nice dark green foliage that is speckled with bright, white to very light cream colored variegation. Very pyramidal in growth, and holds its green color well in the winter. We suggest planting in full sun for best color, but will accept partial shade as well. This particular arborvitae is one of our latest additions to our arborvitae selections - and it is extremely hard to find. 

Having shared my enthusiasm about this great find with my (now) trough advisor Chris (read about him here), he immediately said, "You oughta propagate it. See that double-leader? Cut it off and see if you can get a two-fer." That's Chris -- always knowing the exact thing to do with a conifer and the exact way to do it.

The steps for propagating the Wansdyke Silver Arborvitae are as follows (per Chris):

Behold! Miniature Wansdyke Silver Arborvitae
with obvious "double-leader" making it a good
candidate for propagation.

Close-up: the double-leader

Before making the cut, be sure to have on hand your mix
of special propagation soil: some sand, Pro-Mix, compost,
perlite

Make a clean cut near the base of the second leader.
Can you tell where my cut is? It is the second white-looking
thing to the left of the main stem.

The look of the tree with only the single leader.
As Chris says, "It looks more like a tree."

At the base of the cut stem, shave the bottom
half-inch or so, exposing the inner live flesh

Dip the tip of the stem in water

Then dip the tip of the stem in rooting hormone. Some people
do not like to use rooting hormone. I sometimes do and sometimes
don't. In this case, Chris told me to use it, so I did.

After dipping the stem in rooting hormone, plant it in a
container filled with the special mix of propagation soil.
(While I was at it, I planted several double leaders off of various plants.)

During the incubation period I have tucked the
specimens into a dry-cleaner bag to create an
environment that encourages root growth. I will check
them again in several weeks, watching to make sure
the soil stays moist but not drenched.

Thank you, Chris!

Special Note: My Holiday Troughs will be on sale soon, including three that contain miniature Wansdyke Silver Arborvitaes. Reserve yours today by emailing me here.