The Andean fir, also known as the ornamental fir or araucaria, is one of the oldest and rarest plant species in the world - in its Chilean homeland, the primeval-looking conifer is threatened with extinction. Araucarias native to us should therefore be propagated as far as possible, which is not that easy, however.
The Andean fir is best propagated by seeds
Vegetative propagation not possible
This also includes the fact that vegetative propagation is basically not possible - cut cuttings may sometimes take root, but after a while they will no longer develop and die off. The same applies to offshoots that grow directly from the roots of the main stem, because these are usually not viable on their own after removal. The reason for the unsuccessful vegetative propagation lies in the poor pruning tolerance of the Andean fir - where the plant was pruned, it basically no longer sprout.
Sowing of the Andean fir
However, propagation via the seeds of the Andean fir that ripen in autumn is relatively promising, provided you observe a few basic rules. It is particularly important not to use dried seeds for sowing - they germinate only with great difficulty or not at all. For this reason, it also makes little sense to buy seeds of the araucaria over the Internet - it is better to get a fresh cone with seeds in the fall.
Stratify seeds of Andean fir
The reddish-brown seed kernels have a strong germination inhibition that can only be eliminated by stratification. To do this, you can sow the seeds directly outdoors in the fall, or instead keep them, well wrapped in moist sand, in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for a few weeks or months. Temperatures around five degrees Celsius are ideal. The main thing is that the seeds do not dry out and thus become incapable of germination.
Sow Andean fir
In principle, you can sow the seeds of the Andean fir all year round. When sowing the stratified seeds, you can proceed as follows:
- Use coconut potting soil or a mixture of potting soil and sand for the propagation.
- Fill the substrate in a planter.
- Insert the seeds into the substrate, point down.
- About a third to a half of the core should still be sticking out.
- Always keep the substrate slightly moist.
- The temperature does not have to be evenly high,
- but can also fluctuate between 5 and 25 °C.
- This corresponds to the natural conditions of the Andean fir.
The seeds germinate after about 12 weeks - depending on the weather, it can be quicker or take longer.
tips
You should cultivate the young araucaria in pots for another three years and overwinter frost-free - the young plants are very sensitive to cold, but get used to it with increasing age.