How to Propagate Cordylines (Ti plants)

[putu enjula]

I bought one of these years ago and read the directions... so of course now I am an expert.

[putu enjula]

I have tried different methods of propagation but I prefer their method because it seems to be the fastest way to get a plant growing.

First of course you mutilate some ti plants by cutting them... (of course the plant will grow right back).

[putu enjula]

If I'm going chop down one of my plants, I want to get the most plants out of them!
First I cut off the tops and leave enough stalk to put in a vase.





First I put the large one in a tub of water...





Then I make a nice arrangement with the smaller ones so I can enjoy them while they sprout some roots!

[putu enjula]

Then I cut the stalks into smaller "logs."





Sometimes I simply put the logs upright in a jar... the water should be changed every few days...





Or if I want to try to get the most number plants out of them, I lay them down in a tray. This method requires more maintenance because the water lever needs to consistently cover half of the logs, leaving the tops exposed to the air. When you change the water you should make sure the same side is turned up... keeping the same dry side up and the same wet side down.




I got this tray from Costco, it is nice because there are grooves on the bottom that prevent them from rolling.

[putu enjula]

Here is a Princess Leisha I put in some water about a couple of weeks ago.





Time for planting!




Dean's prefered soil...



When you pot up a cordyline it is always good to bury a lot of the stalk so it can grow even more roots for a strong root system.




The newly potted Princess Leisha is pale from being indoors, soon it will look just like the one next to it...




There is an easier method that we use occasionally. Mainly for tis we that have a lot of... we cut off the top and and stick it into the ground. Sometimes it takes a while for them to get going.

[putu enjula]

Here is a log that has been soaking upright for a few weeks...




I'm going to wait for more roots.




I will post an update of those other logs as soon as something happens!

[Scott Mcintosh]

Angela, Thanks for the info on rooting the logs. What is the best way to grow from seed. I have always planted the whole ripe fruit. Had some luck with that, but is it best to remove the seed from the fruit?

[putu enjula]

I always remove the fruit from the seed but I have read that it is fine to plant the whole berry.

[putu enjula]

I don't know the best way to grow from seed. I'm still experimenting. Whenever I see berries, I try to collect them since not many of ours set berries. We have one that continuously set seed all year round but I like to get a variety. Jeff and Su Chin were nice enough to let me collect a bunch of berries while Dean was palm shopping. I was cleaning seeds for days!!! The genetic properties of tis are unstable so you never know what you are going to get!!

I always sprinkle the seeds in a pot and cover them with an eighth of an inch of soil or less.

[putu enjula]

Oh boy!! I can't wait!!!

[Scott Mcintosh]

Angela, A few questions for you. The berries on my plants look to be ripe at anytime now. If I remove the seed from the berries do I need to dry the seed or plant fresh? Plant seed in pots or can I sow in ground? If sown in pots, do I need to cover the pot in a plastic bag. How long before I see sprouts? I planted Kiwi berries in the ground in early June and have seen nothing so far. In the past I have always thrown the berries under the mother plant and check back the next year for seedlings.

[putu enjula]

Darn! I just spent 25 minutes replying and something happened and I lost it all! Grrr!!

[putu enjula]

Good questions but I don't know the best method of planting them! All I can do is tell you what I have done in the past.
I have:
Taken berries off a ti and extracted the seeds and planted them right away or days/weeks later.
Let the berries shrivel up and dry out and then take out the seeds and plant them right away or weeks later.
Let the berries dry out and then soak them for days/week, take out the seeds and then plant the them right away or days/weeks later.
Soak fresh berries and take out the seeds and then plant the them right away or days/weeks later.

The seedlings in post 10 were taken out of the berries, which took days... I soaked some seeds to get the fruit off completely. Some still had some skin on them so after they dried out a while, I put them in a cup and rubbed the seeds together between my fingers with a lot of force to get it off. I figure there's less chance of them molding if I clean them really well. Old fruit molds like crazy here. When I sow ti seeds, I always use that potting soil that I took a picture of... it is organic material. I always fill up the pot and then sprinkle the seeds on top and cover them with an 8th inch of soil... a lot of times after I water them some end up on the surface. I don't stress on it because you usually end up with so many seedlings! I just put the pots outside uncovered... it dews every night here so I don't have to worry about them drying out. Sometimes I have to put seedlings under our lanai so they can dry out if it has been raining a lot! Hope that helps!

[putu enjula]

I just planted the remaining seeds from the same batch that have sprouted already... I'll let you know if and when they pop. They've been sitting out for about a month or so...

[Scott Mcintosh]

Thanks Angela, I am going to remove the seeds from the fruit this time and plant the seeds in pots.

[putu enjula]

Great! Keep us posted on your progress!

[Scott Mcintosh]

After months of soaking the logs in water with no luck I placed the logs in soil a little over a week ago. Look close in the center of photo looks like this Lemon Lime log is finally doing something.

[Dypsisdean]

I think you have ignition and lift off.

[Scott Mcintosh]

I think you have ignition and lift off.

Maybe ignition I have to see leaves before I will say lift off.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Here is a Sensation Ti that I stuck the log (on end) in a pot this past June. Nice and bushy growth with 9 stems now.

[putu enjula]

Signs of life!!

[Scott Mcintosh]

Going to try my hand on rooting this one in water.

[putu enjula]

I think tip cuttings root faster because they can use energy from their leaves. The Miss Andrea in the photo was in a very dark spot so I think that's why it didn't progress any faster than the logs. I have another tip cutting I put in water just the other day where it gets more light and it already has root bumps.

[The Silent Seed]

What are those Dracaena indivisa "Spikes" sold at box stores and mega stores ? I think they are in fact Cordylines. Here are pictures of mine. They come in green or maroon.

As for the "Lemon Lime" above - isn't that a Dracaena? Or is there a Lemon Lime Cordyline as well?

[Scott Mcintosh]

What are those Dracaena indivisa "Spikes" sold at box stores and mega stores ? I think they are in fact Cordylines. Here are pictures of mine. They come in green or maroon.

As for the "Lemon Lime" above - isn't that a Dracaena? Or is there a Lemon Lime Cordyline as well?

I have tried growing the Spikes here but the summer humid conditions are to much for them and they die. Yes that is a Lemon Lime Cordyline.

[The Silent Seed]

Scott, do you know the correct Botanical name for the "Spikes" ? Some say Drac. indivisa, some say Cordyline australis? I'd like the right name to go with them.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Down here in FL the spikes have Cordyline australis attached as the name. The Dracaena named plants grow great here.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Here is a example of what are sold here under the Dracaena name. This one is Dracaena marginata 'Bicolor'.

[The Silent Seed]

Scott, I have one of those - but more maroon (Dracaena marg. rubra) - they are very different than what we have, that are called "Spikes." I think it's crazy that we can buy the same plant, but marketed as two different things by the same box stores. Now I really want to know what they really are

[Scott Mcintosh]

Great news on the cutting I put in water 6 days ago. It now has the white bumps for roots.

[Peachy]

They are cordyline australis, a native from NewZealand that have been bred up to produce the different colours. Extremely cold and frost hardy, they even grow in England !!! Some of the new cultivars will withstand some humidity but eventually they seem to just fall over. Heat doesnt bother them as long as they are well watered.
Peachy

[Dypsisdean]

I think Peachy and Scott are both on target. What Scott has shown is Dracaena marginata, a staple for the interior plant industry, and one that I have seen in green, bi-color, and tri-color. And what Peachy is addressing is what Silent Seed was questioning, and from her neck of the woods. She may be able to tell us about New Zealand flax, which also looks like those "spikes" and have been bred for more and more color lately as well. I think small plants could be confused by the casual admirer. And of course this "look" of plant is fairly common in the plant world, so I would imagine there are, and will be others.

[putu enjula]

Scott, I like that green ti with the red petioles... so simple but still pretty. I think I have one like that somewhere that I clipped during one of my walks along the road LOL.
Peachy! Welcome to the thread! Thanks for your input!! 'bout time we get some Aussies in the ti threads!

[Scott Mcintosh]

Scott, I like that green ti with the red petioles... so simple but still pretty. I think I have one like that somewhere that I clipped during one of my walks along the road LOL.

Angela, That is Maria, The stem had grown tall and the colors are not there any longer on that stem. The top cutting came off a 8' stem.

[The Silent Seed]

Hi,
Roots (almost) in a week - wow! That's as fast as a willow!
Dean - you've opened another can of worms! Up here, New Zealand Flax is what they call Phormium , a big "grass" with no trunk. Those are great, too, but I can never give them enough sun to keep them going.
Interesting note about the Cordyline australis hardiness - There are some that MAY have survived Zone 5b winters!!! (Not mine, but just what I've seen in the "annual planters" around town.
I've never grown any of these big - leaf Cordylines - what do they need to stay happy? I'm thinking it could be a next project for me

[Scott Mcintosh]

Hi,
Roots (almost) in a week - wow! That's as fast as a willow!
Dean - you've opened another can of worms! Up here, New Zealand Flax is what they call Phormium , a big "grass" with no trunk. Those are great, too, but I can never give them enough sun to keep them going.
Interesting note about the Cordyline australis hardiness - There are some that MAY have survived Zone 5b winters!!! (Not mine, but just what I've seen in the "annual planters" around town.
I've never grown any of these big - leaf Cordylines - what do they need to stay happy? I'm thinking it could be a next project for me

The Cordyline make great houseplants and will make a great project. When I lived in VA alot of people grew them as house plants.

[Scott Mcintosh]

New top cuttings taken today. Lets see how fast these will to root in water in the Aug heat. Cuttings of Exotica, Sherberti,Chocolate,Tuscan,Sensation, White Babydoll and Red Sister.

[Scott Mcintosh]

FYI: Easy way to tell if you have a Cordyline or a Dracaena. Cordylines have white roots and Dracaena (pictured) orange.

[Dypsisdean]

Still learning something everyday. I will make a note of that and see if it holds true.

Jude, cordylines are extremely forgiving plants. They were initially brought to Hawaii as cane cuttings aboard the canoes from the So. Pacific where they would have endured long hot periods in a salty environment with no water. I have one black New Guinea Ti that I dug up and keep spraying Round Up on the sprouts that continue to pop up. I've spent a couple of years doing this and it is still sprouting new plants.

They would tolerate your winters indoors just fine, and enjoy it outside during your warm season where they would grow fast and develop good color. They will tolerate a crowded pot and don't need a lot of water. You should try some. But don't if you are easily hooked (and it looks like you have that personality)

[Scott Mcintosh]

If anyone is up for the task of growing Cordylines from seed, I have some seed from Kiwi (pic) ready now. I will make 3 envelopes of aprox 20 seed. FREE for those interested.