How do you shape Podocarpus? One method to shape the tree is a light, occasional clipping to encourage it to grow in the shape of a pyramid. Be sure to keep the base wider than the top so that the tree will become triangular with all branches receiving good light.
How to propagate a Podocarpus shrub?
Here is how to propagate a Podocarpus shrub: 1 In summer, take a stem cutting from a healthy Podocarpus plant about 5” (15 cm) from the tip. 2 Remove all leaves from the pine yew’s stem apart from a few leaves at the stem’s tip. 3 Dip the cut end of the Japanese yew in a rooting hormone. More items...
What does a Podocarpus tree look like?
Podocarpus trees ( Podocarpus gracilior) are medium-sized evergreen conifers with a pyramidal shape. Also called weeping Podocarpus trees or African fern trees, the tree has soft, dense evergreen foliage. The slow-growing shade tree grows up to 40 ft. (12 m) high. Podocarpus weeping trees thrive in zones 9 – 11.
Can you cut a Podocarpus tree branches?
Ask yourself why you are trimming your podocarpus before you take the first snip. Evergreens are less forgiving about inappropriate pruning than deciduous trees and some simply don't replace the branches you cut. Limit your pruning to identified goals; with evergreens, you cannot prune for the fun of it.
What kind of soil do Podocarpus trees like?
Podocarpus trees prefer moist, well-draining, sandy soils but can tolerate a wide range of any well-draining soil types. They do not tolerate heavy, soggy soils.
Can Podocarpus be shaped?
There are several ways to shape a podocarpus. No matter what shape you'd like the tree to be trained into, it is quite important to start the process early, a few months after planting. If you wait a year or two, it will be much more difficult if not impossible to attain the desired result.
How do you keep Podocarpus straight?
0:562:31How to keep the Podocarpus growing straight | Landscaping - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can see here I incurred these in and then I put a screw and both sides. So that the pipe cannotMoreYou can see here I incurred these in and then I put a screw and both sides. So that the pipe cannot rotate back and forth like this. And you can see here. I put one of the fasteners.
Can I top a Podocarpus tree?
This is a perfectly good practice just as long as you don't dig it into the ground but let it lie on top to age and see that it's well water or alternatively has plenty of rain.
When should I prune Podocarpus?
Time to Prune Pruning Podocarpus in the summer encourages secondary growth that is as attractive as new spring growth. Although you might be cutting out its attractive red or purple fruits, pruning in late summer through October might give you a better flush of new growth the following spring.
How do you shape Podocarpus into a hedge?
Trim the green tips of the podocarpus to shape the tree or encourage fullness. Prune the outermost growth very lightly to create hedges. Act in July or August to experience a second flush of growth. Avoid shearing the branches of this tree in any season.
How do you get Podocarpus to grow together?
Create Podocarpus hedges and lush privacy screens by planting the Podocarpus shrubs close together. The needle-like leaves have a dark green color, and they respond well to trimming. Plant the Japanese yew hedges in the sun or shade and ensure that the ground is fertile and drains well.
Can Podocarpus be kept short?
Podocarpus gracilior: Also known as Afrocarpus gracilior, this larger tree variety can reach up to 40 feet tall, although it can be pruned and maintained at shorter heights or in unique shapes.
Can Podocarpus be kept small?
Have no fear Ruby138, a podocarpus is wonderful and clean. You can do anything to them (prune, shear, topiary, espalier, keep small, or let grow to a big tree). Bonus: they hardly need any water, always green and not messy.
How can you tell if a Podocarpus is male or female?
Trees are either male or female. Males have yellowish pollen-producing catkin-like cones and females bear the seeds. Plants grow in full sun or partial shade in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10.
How do you maintain Podocarpus?
The plant does tolerate almost any soil pH and has moderate salt acceptance as well. Young Podocarpus plant care should include regular watering as the tree establishes, early training if necessary, and removal of competitive weeds. A light layer of organic mulch can help protect the surface roots and prevent weeds.
How tall does Podocarpus get?
This is a densely compact evergreen conifer shrub or narrow, conical tree that grows well in coastal NC and grows up to 6.5' tall, although the tree form of this plant can grow up to 50'.
How long does it take for Podocarpus to grow?
This plant makes a good hedge or screen, and can grow either indoors or outdoors. You can plant podocarpus from seeds or from cuttings. While hardwood cuttings take root easily, podocarpus seeds can take up to six months to germinate.
Podocarpus Tree Care
These trees are very hardy and tolerant of a wide range of conditions. They can be grown outdoors, in containers, and even indoors. Some keep these shrubs as bonsai trees. These plants do not often struggle with diseases or pests, though mites or scale may affect them. They make wonderful windbreaks, privacy screens, and hedges.
Types of Podocarpus Trees
Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Maki': This dwarf variety is a small shrub reaching 8 feet in height. These are often used as smaller, well-pruned hedges .
Pruning
Pruning is not required but can be done any time of year to keep the shrub or tree in its desired shape or to remove dead or damaged wood. It is best not to prune in the fall to minimize the occurrence of new growth, which can be easily damaged in the soon-to-arrive cold temperatures.
Propagating Podocarpus Trees
Propagation can be done through cuttings, though it is sometimes difficult to get the cuttings to root. If you would like to try this propagation method, you will need a pair of garden snips, a small pot, rich, well-draining soil, and rooting hormone. Then follow these instructions:
How to Grow Podocarpus Trees From Seed
Podocarpus trees can also be grown from seed, though this method requires patience. To do this, you will need sphagnum moss, a plastic bag, potting soil, and a small pot.
Potting and Repotting Podocarpus Trees
Podocarpus trees, depending on the variety, do well when kept in containers. This is ideal for small varieties grown in areas with cold winters, as the pot can be moved indoors and kept protected from the cold temperatures.
Overwintering
Podocarpus trees cannot tolerate very cold temperatures and must be grown in zone 8 or higher. Therefore, when grown in areas colder than this, Podocarpus trees must be moved indoors and protected from the harsh cold.
How tall does a podocarpus tree grow?
Many gardeners plant podocarpus in hedges but it truly excels as a specimen tree, growing slowly to its mature height of 40 feet, with lower limbs sweeping the ground and an airy, irregular silhouette. The tree requires little pruning to develop a strong, attractive branch structure.
How to remove podocarpus?
Remove dead or broken branches of young podocarpus whenever you notice the damage. Cut off a dead branch at the point it leaves the central trunk. Prune out a broken branch just above a lateral branch, 6 inches into healthy wood.
How many species of evergreens are there in the Podocarpus family?
Garden. |. Garden Care. By Teo Spengler. If a podocarpus wanted to brag, it might mention that its genus thrived on the supercontinent of Gondwana before it broke up to create Africa, South America and India. Currently the genus Podocarpus includes about 100 species of evergreens, including the popular backyard tree Podocarpus ...
How many species of podocarpus are there?
Currently the genus Podocarpus includes about 100 species of evergreens, including the popular backyard tree Podocarpus macrophyllus, commonly called podocarpus. Podocarpus grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11, and pleases gardeners with its dense, deep-green, leathery needles, ...
What do podocarpus smell like?
The podocarpus' shiny foliage smells wonderful when bruised. You can eat the fleshy, olive-green fruits that grow on the podocarpus. Eat them fresh or use them in baking. Do not be surprised to see this tree called by other common names. The list includes bigleaf podocarp, Buddhist pine, Japanese pine and yew pine.
Can you trim podocarpus?
Limit your pruning to identified goals; with evergreens, you cannot prune for the fun of it.
How big do podocarpus trees get?
Also Know, how big does a Podocarpus tree get? Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees, usually from 1 to 25 metres (3 to 82 ft) tall , known to reach 40 metres (130 ft) at times. Just so, how quickly does Podocarpus grow?
Is Podocarpus macrophyllus slow growing?
Podocarpus macrophyllus (yew podocarpus) is a slow growing 40-50? An added advantage, Podocarpus has non-invasive roots so it can be planted close to a sidewalk, and appears to resist wind damage. It will grow on a range of moist but free draining soils, preferring those that are slightly acidic.
How wide can a podocarpus be?
You can prune Podocarpus into a lawn tree as little as 3 to 4 feet wide. If you try to trim a Podocarpus into hedge or column, you may miss its natural beauty. Get the Best Mortgage Rate for You | SmartAsset.com. Loading.
What to prune a Podocarpus as a windbreak?
If you want to prune a Podocarpus as a windbreak, choose “Young Rusty” (Podocarpus lawrencei x nivalis “Young Rusty”) or Podocarpus “Flame (Podocarpus lawrencei x nivalis "Flame"). For hedges, grow “Clarence” (Podocarpus nivalis “Clarence”).
How often should I prune a Podocarpus bonsai?
If you grow Podocarpus as bonsai, you should see 2 to 4 inches of new growth each spring. Prune Podocarpus bonsai when it is actively growing. Loosely wire branches to guide growth. Watch that the wire is not cutting into the growing wood, and remove it in 60 to 90 days. As the wood gets older, it becomes turns rigid and hard to bend. Do not prune more than one-eighth of the roots when you repot a Podocarpus bonsai.
How tall do Japanese yew trees grow?
Left unpruned, the commonly grown tree species Japanese yew (Podocarpus macrophyllus) reaches heights of 30 to 40 feet and will grow mainly in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8b to 11. You can prune various Podocarpus species into cones, round or square columns, hedges and even bonsai.
Can you prune a Podocarpus tree?
Their lower limbs are densely covered with dark green evergreen leaves. If you leave the lower limbs of a Podocarpus unpruned, they will reach the ground, resembling a spruce. Prune the lower branches if you want to show the peeling, light brown bark. You can prune Podocarpus into a lawn tree as little as 3 to 4 feet wide.
