If you love planting new young trees but aren’t willing to spend a lot of money, why not grow trees from twigs instead? Aside from saving a couple of bucks, you’ll also able to witness your trees grow bigger and prettier. This method is definitely practical and fulfilling as well. You should definitely try this method on your homestead!
Grow Trees From Twigs | A Step-by-Step Guide
What you’ll need to plant a tree from twigs:
- tree branch
- plastic bottle
- knife
- hammer
- time
Step 1: Prepare the branch
Take your tree branch and pull off all the leaves. Chop off all the buds and smaller branches using a knife and hammer. Take the knife and place it on the branch you want to chop off making sure it’s straight. Then, carefully hit the knife with the hammer so the branch gets cut off.
Step 2: Chop off the branch
Now chop the branch into 20-40 cm long pieces of twigs. Make sure these chopped pieces of twigs can fit inside a plastic bottle.
Step 3: Place the chopped branches inside a plastic bottle
Place the branches in the plastic bottle filled with 5 cm of water. Now close the cap and you’re done! Make sure to screw the cap off and on once in a while to let in new air.
Tip: You may add a bit of root booster to the water as it may help the roots to grow faster.
Step 4: Transfer the branch to the ground
After 2 weeks, you may notice fluffy texture or little beads appearing on the branch. It means it’s time to place the branch in a good soil and water it like you would water any plant.
Old Man Next Door’s Method
Before I even knew this method of turning cuttings into a tree, I had my eyes on my neighbor’s golden plum tree. Oh boy, did I like it!
I always asked the old man next door if I could rip a few plums from his tree to snack on. He, of course, always answered with a yes. I loved his golden plums so much, I snacked on them every day. One day, I knocked on his door to ask for some golden plums. He again let me, but also told me a little tip: “You ain’t gonna pick these sweets all your life from this tree. So, snip off a branch and let me show you how to grow your own tree.” All excited, I agreed! Free tree and free plums without having to ask before I pick them!
He showed me this method and to my surprise, it worked. I was happily picking plums off my own golden plum tree! It took a few years to get to the fruit-bearing stage but it was worth it!
As I mentioned before, this is a great way to plant a tree you like, without having to pay for it.
Want to see how to root plants from cuttings? Watch this video:
I’ve always love trees: growing, planting, and pruning them. While it isn’t possible to plant oak or walnut trees in my yard as I’d like, I resort to planting smaller trees using twigs or stem cuttings. This has been my yearly custom now. You can also share these guide and few tips to your friends and relatives so they can also grow their own trees on their homestead!
What do you think of this tree planting method? Do you think you’ll try to grow trees from twigs? Let us know and share your experience in the comments section below.
Up Next: Homesteader’s Guide to Soil Improvement
Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on April 2, 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Cool. I wonder if this works with bamboo.
Be careful with Bamboo, the stuff is a weed. It uses runner to propagate and it’s hard to contain.
Excelente. Parabéns!!!