(How To) Growing from Root Cutting, Paulownia Tomentosa - Kiri Tree - Empress Tree (with Results)

[@rbbiefah]

Did you plant the roots horizontally or vertically?

[@abc-ed1nr]

Do it horizontal

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

Very interesting! Just bought my first paulownia tomentosa just to see how it grows. Now I learn I can easily have more should I wish. Thanks. Good to know others have problems with our busy friend the squirrel.

[@treelife365]

Good luck with your first Empress Tree, Jengold! Yes, we gardeners are all familiar with our good friend, Squirrelly-Sqoo 😆

[@Stephen_Strange]

This will help - From SFGate Harvesting the Cuttings 1. Dig a trench around the perimeter of a 1-year-old empress tree sapling. Go deep enough to remove the young tree from the ground, but avoid damaging the root ball. 2. Remove 2- to 6-inch long, 1 diameter cuttings from the root ball with a sharp knife. Make a straight cut at the end nearest the tree's crown and a slanted cut at the shoot's other end. 3. Bundle the root stocks, keeping the proximal ends together and the distal ends together. The proximal ends are those that were closest to the trunk and the distal ends are those farthest from the trunk. Wrap the cuttings in moist peat moss, store in a zippered plastic bag and refrigerate until planting. Mark the bag to remind yourself which end is which. Plant the cutting once the outdoor air temperature is consistently above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Planting Your Empress Tree Cutting 1. Pull the root cuttings from the peat moss and allow them to dry out for at least two days, allowing them create a protective coating that later protects against rot. 2. Loosen the soil with a hoe or shovel before digging a hole 2 to 3 inches deep. If planting multiple cuttings, space them at least two to three inches apart. 3. Lower the cutting into the hole with the proximal, or straight-cut end, pointing upward. Back fill with the original soil and water deeply. 4. Water during periods of drought, otherwise avoid watering the newly planted root cuttings for the first few weeks. Empress trees are prone to root rot, so if you're maintaining a watering schedule, allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

[@treelife365]

Thanks for the tips!

[@matthew2531]

​@treelife365 this ks excellent I should go download the entire document ❕️🫂✅️ Thank you so much!

[@topfunnypet]

very good. Is there a similar video here on KZbin for me to watch?

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

Excellent. Thanks very much.

[@treelife365]

Hope the video helped!

[@scottnunya2441]

We have two mature trees on our property, but one of them was shading out a large japanese maple that stood bout 25' high. I cut that mature tree down in the spring. It is not early fall the roots system from that tree has sprouted around 30 trees, with the largest almost as tall as the Japanese Maple. They grow astonishingly fast. 20' in just 6 months. Amazing. I came here to see about how to grow them as they are beautiful trees and I wasn't sure if I could use cuttings, roots, or seeds. Sounds like seeds are the fastest method for multiple trees, so I'm going to collect them when they flower next time, although, I can't recall seeing seed pods on these.

[@treelife365]

It sounds like you live in a place with pretty nice weather (short winters for sure), Scott! The seed pods of the Paulownia tomentosa are green/brown balls and they should be hanging on the tree at this time of year (if your tree flowered in the spring). Normally, the tree is about 7 years old before it first starts flowering. When the seed pods open, they peel open and just let the seeds fly... so... best to pluck them from the tree when they're brown! Growing the trees from root cuttings is extremely fast, actually. As you witnessed, cutting down one main trunk resulted in 30 more shoots coming up from the existing roots! Definitely the fastest way would be to dig up 10-inch sections of P. tomentosa root and put them where you'd like them to grow 😄 Good luck with your project and it would be cool to see a video of your garden!

[@scottnunya2441]

@@treelife365 Thanks. Actually, I'm in Norther MD so we get pretty cold winters. I did dig up two roots about an inch thick with a small sapling growing from them and just transplanted them into soil in another location. Neither survived. Looks like I'll need smaller roots and a prepared pot to get them going if I do it that way. Definitely no seeds have appeared, so the trees may be too young. We've only been here 3 years so I don't know how old they are. I just ordered two seed variations of this tree and plan on getting them going inside in early spring before transplanting.

[@treelife365]

No problem, Scott! They should grow very well in Maryland... as they are considered an obnoxious weed in parts of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, specifically)! How long was the root that you left attached to the saplings? One inch is certainly thick enough, but it should be about 10" long. I've had success with a 10" long piece of root that was less than an inch thick :) The seeds sound like a good idea... it'll definitely work.

[@scottnunya2441]

@@treelife365 The root, while quite thick, was only about 4-6" long. I figured since they already had shoots growing from them, they stood the best chance of surviving. The roots didn't have any extensions off them though...no filaments or hairs, so that is likely why they didn't survive. It wasn't easy pulling these small sections out of the ground, so I doubt I'll do it again to pull longer pieces out, as these are very well developed root systems, probably spanning a 100 sq ft area...so they are all very thick.

[@treelife365]

That sounds like it should've grown into a whole new tree! I only tried it once with a root cutting and it did work, but yeah, it was hard to cut it and dig it out of the ground 😅 I know that people actually sell root cuttings of Paulownia tomentosa online; they look really long in the packages! Another method I've heard is to just slice the mother tree's root somewhere, causing a new pup to sprout where that cut has taken place. Then, perhaps you can let it grow a bit and then move it along with some of the root system (hopefully fibrous when it's moved)?

[@Stephen_Strange]

Did a new tree sprout from the mother eventually?

[@treelife365]

Yes, a new one grew from the roots! It took about 1- 2 months to sprout, but check out 4:15 in this garden update video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX6TlqF-lLqHm80

[@mansipatel2217]

How long can the roots live by itself after you cut it off the tree?

[@treelife365]

Hi Mansi... well, the roots can probably be kept for a month, if you wrap them up so that they don't dry out! Keep them moist ☺️ After a month, they will begin sprouting a trunk for a new tree.

[@HiNickCares]

Any updates on the tree?

[@treelife365]

It grew well, Nick (you can see some updates during my "Garden Updates" videos), but I sold my house and gave all my plants away in January 2022!

[@sharimc72]

I have some that popped up out of nowhere in my old dried up pond. We mowed them over last year, & I told my husband to let them go this year, to see what became of them. I thought they were weeds at first. Now they're taller than me, & the leaves are HUMONGOUS! I just looked close, & they look like tree trunks, so I looked online to find out what they were, & here I am! Ive never heard of or seen one of these trees. My husband wants them gone from the middle of the backyard, & asked me to find out how to transplant one, so I can keep one. He uses the old pond hole to burn stuff. I'm wondering where it came from!?

[@treelife365]

That's so cool, Shari! I am jealous 😁 The seeds are very small and light, so it must've been blown over to your dried up pond by the wind. Since you want to save it, what I would do is to just dig it up - try to get as much of the root system as possible - and then transplant it to wherever you want! If you and your husband can do it together, you can probably transplant it without cutting down the trunk. However, if you cut it down to a stump before transplanting, it'll probably survive without a problem; it'll regenerate right away, since there are still some months left in the growing season in the northern hemisphere. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

[@sharimc72]

@@treelife365 Thank you❤️ There's multiple in the one area, like 2 that have actual tree trunks, & newer ones sprouting around them in one small area. I wish I could drop a picture here. We will definitely take your advice & try to dig one out & move it, to see how it works out. The old pond it smack in the middle of my backyard & even though I'm surrounded by woods, they have no competition for sun there. I'm thinking of moving one to the south facing slope where it'll still have full sun all day.

[@treelife365]

It sounds like they are already spreading via the roots! You probably don't have to be too careful, as it sounds like the root system of your Empress Tree is already really strong. If you took a video and shared it on your own account (and notified me), I would love to see what's going on with your "gifted" trees!

[@sharimc72]

@@treelife365 I will definitely do that!

[@vincenttsang4640]

from one 10 inch root can you grow several trees by cutting that root into several parts of 1or 2 inch each?

[@treelife365]

I don't think it would be a good idea to cut the root too short, because it needs the sugars and nutrients from the root to send up a new trunk and leaves. Perhaps you can go shorter, like 8 inches... but, I personally wouldn't get any shorter than that! However, if you took a very small root piece and put it into the perfect laboratory environment (perfect light, perfect temperature, perfect humidity, external nutrients), then it probably would grow!

[@vincenttsang4640]

@@treelife365 Thanks

[@vincenttsang4640]

If I want lots & lots of Paulownia Tomentosa trees in shortest time should I grow them from seeds or roots?

[@treelife365]

Hi Vincent, Seeds would be your best bet, because if you use the optimal germination method, a whole lot will grow at the same time. One root cutting will only produce one tree. I recently grew a bunch of seeds using the water-on-windowsill germination method. I put the seeds in water on my windowsill, then once I saw the tiny roots coming out, I poured that water over good soil in a big pot outside, then covered that pot with plastic wrap to create a sort of greenhouse. In a few weeks, the seeds became time trees and they were so numerous (have to remove the plastic wrap eventually)... I had to transplant many of them into several pots (you can see what I did towards the end of any of my recent "Garden Update" videos). If you're located in Canada, I would be happy to send you some live trees or root cuttings! If you're elsewhere, I would be happy to send you some seeds! (no cost to you) Email me: treelife365 (&) gmail.com 😁

[@vincenttsang4640]

@@treelife365 Thank you. Due to the pandemic I can not go where I really want to go, China or Vietnam, because I am a US citizen. Currently I have to stay in a hotel over looking a big park in the center of Hong Kong since 2020-03-15. Only go out for a walk after lunch and diner, the rest of the day and night laying on bed learning gardening, farming, goat-raising from KZbin. I plan to go to Vietnam when the pandemic is over. I plan to raise goats the laziest way. I plan to buy around 100,000 square meters (10 hectares) of land then build 1.8m height fence around it. I would build a big pond, a solar power drip irrigation system. I would then buy lots & lots of seeds (grass seeds, legume seeds, flower seeds, fast-growing tree seeds/cuttings, very invasive plant seeds/cuttings, etc.) and throw them on the ground then cover them all with rice straw. I would wait for a few months or a year. When my land becomes a jungle I would then buy goats (from 500 to 2000 of them) to fertilize my jungle and give me meat to sell. I plan to further divide my 10 hectares of land into 11 smaller lots each with a remote control gate. On one lot I will build a barn for the goats to sleep at night. The remaining 10 lots are for the goats to gaze during the day. I plan to have computer control the open/close time of the gates and use alarm bell to tell the goats time to leave and time to come back to the barn. Barn cleaning is also computer control automated. I plan to sell my goats one or twice a month by having my contract buyers help themselve catching the goats. I don't plan to hire any workers and don't plan to work hard either (I can't because I am too old now). My future expenses, if any, will only be seeds and/or cuttings. My future income will be ONE USD per goat per day (each goat will give me 200 grams of meat a day at FIVE USD per kilogram). Am I missing anything in my plans? Will my plans work? Did Corona virus drive me crazy? I need all the ideas I can get to make my plan work. Oh! my farm will be named MinMax Goat Farm by Lazy Old Farmer.

[@sebafernandez.tattoo]

@@vincenttsang4640 a quien mierda le importa

[@JDog801]

take a lot of cutting and make clones

[@treelife365]

Sorry that I didn't see your reply until just now, Vincent. I hope that you are now doing well and aren't trapped in Hong Kong. I hope you are in Vietnam by now! While I don't know too much about goats, I kind of know a little bit about chickens and I think this plan would work with chickens. Since you'll be in Vietnam, you could also investigate selling the seeds of some sought-after plants or flowers (don't let the goats eat them!)? Grow them in your garden and when they go to seed: sell them online!

[@matthew2531]

Should that plant be larger after 3 years??? I thought that was a fast growing species

[@treelife365]

I certainly thought it would be larger! Unfortunately, it only grows super fast in the right conditions; like in Philadelphia or in Hawaii, it lives up to its reputation. In Ontario... it actually grows slower than Tree of Heaven! Still fairly quick, though 😀

[@flowerfire7]

I baught it's roots grown just after 1 day

[@Atchamen]

Thank you Brian!

[@treelife365]

You're most welcome, CM! I hope you are able to grow your own, too 😊

[@letstour4018]

Do you sell seeds? I want

[@treelife365]

I can send you some seeds! No need to buy them 😁 If you email me your address, I'll send you some seeds. If you're in Canada, I can even send you a live plant (though, the stem might whither and die, the roots would produce a new plant)! Email me: treelife365 (&) gmail.com

[@vincenttsang4640]

How tall they are in 3 moths?

[@treelife365]

Hi Vincent! In three months, the root cutting was only maybe like 10 cm high.

[@vincenttsang4640]

@@treelife365 Thanks

[@slaber1234]

Nice video thanks

[@treelife365]

No problem, S! Hopefully it helped you... don't be afraid to plant the roots you have, even if you think they might not make it (you will hopefully be surprised)😃

[@dbizi440]

hey Brian, nice video, I have been looking into these trees what worries me is that they are not the best for the environment since they are being invasive. But let me know your thoughts.

[@treelife365]

Hey Dame! Empress Trees can be invasive in some locales, but in other places they're totally harmless. For example, I'm here in Southern Ontario and I know of several mature trees that produce seed every year... but there are either zero or few mature ones near them, meaning that their seeds haven't successfully germinated anywhere. On the other hand, if you Google Streetview Philadelphia, PA - the Kiri Trees are everywhere! They're in cracks in the sidewalk, growing in abandoned buildings... I'm gonna visit Philadelphia after the pandemic just to see them 😂 Where are you located?

[@dbizi440]

@@treelife365 I'm located in Macedonia which is in the Balkans(Southern Europe) and Paulownia has picked up pretty fast due to economic purposes :D. But as you mention it can be connected to the location itself as I haven't seen any issues with Paulownia sprouting everywhere here as well. I'm planning on growing a couple from seeds just for a hobby to see how it will go :) I'm planning to do it in a mountainous region but I'm afraid it might take over the other species. We will see I will have to control it more I guess

[@treelife365]

Oh yes, they are an excellent tree to grow for wood! But also beautiful and the flowers are nice. You definitely should try it! If the plantations don't have a lot of escapees, then you probably won't experience it, either. Just for reference, the weather around here is average -5°C in winter and average 25°C in summer. In Philadelphia, where they are having a problem... the winter is average +1°C and about the same in summer. I guess Empress Tree doesn't like it when it freezes! I see that in North Macedonia, it can get pretty cold in the winter, but in other parts of Macedonia (I didn't know it wasn't a country!!!) it can be pretty warm. I guess Paulownia tomentosa could get invasive if the winters are warm in your area, but I guess in the mountains is pretty cold in the winter! I have a video on how to germinate the seeds with the "water on windowsill" method. I've done it successfully twice! kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2fUmKSQpMyiadk

[@dbizi440]

@@treelife365 yeah the place where I want to plant it gets about -6 on average but sometimes it can get crazy -15 (very rarely nowadays though) over the summer it can get to even 30+ but on average is around 25 too. So it should be good and noninvasive here as well. I will try with two or three to see how they will react just to make sure.

[@treelife365]

Empress tree definitely won't be invasive in your area! Give it a try and let me know how it goes 😄

[@KlausBioMadsen]

Thank you sir!

[@treelife365]

You're most welcome! Hope it helps you!

[@secretdad544]

Aaesome

[@shazra2720]

SIR I AM From State OF WEST BENGAL INDIA Please SEND ME Some SEED OF PAWLONIA TREE.

[@treelife365]

My mom was born in West Bengal! I think I have some seeds left over... I am not sure exactly where they are, but if I find them, I am willing to send some to you! I will let you know here, if I find them... then, you must provide your address...

[@aslinurkalenderoglu1131]

👌👍

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Looks waterlogged. They prefer more sand.

[@treelife365]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@brandonmihalik6144]

Hello from Germany. We would like to plant several of these along the side of our home, however we have a question about the root system of the tree. Do they normally grow wide, and are they know to breakthrough retaining walls if planted close to neighboring properties? Any help is much appreciated. @briantreelife.

[@treelife365]

Hi Brandon! They usually grow much taller than wide and the root system is very fibrous. My advice would be to go ahead and plant near your retaining wall; it's actually a myth that tree roots damage walls. Usually, the wall is already damaged and the tree roots simply go into the cracks because of available moisture. Then, when the wall is being repaired, people see tree roots and blame the tree! I was digging around my basement wall with a 100-year-old black walnut tree nearby... the basement wall was in good condition and there were huge black walnut roots going alongside the wall, but not into it!

[@treelife365]

I would give the trees as much horizontal space around the trunk as you'd give any other tree 👍