Garden Q&A: Storm snapped my mimosa in two. Can I replant it?
The recent storm snapped my mimosa nearly in half.
My question is: Is there any hope of planting the broken-off bit successfully?
It breaks my heart to simply dump it.
I have seen the photos of the damaged mimosa and while the good news is that the tree that remains looks like it will survive, I would recommend cleaning up the cuts from where the branches were torn.
All mimosas (Acacia to call them by their botanical name) like a south-facing and sunny position but they do need to be sheltered from high winds as the weight of their evergreen foliage and shallow root system makes them vulnerable to damage from storms and high winds.
Large boughs like this which have come off your tree will not root successfully — if only it were so simple.
However, you could try and take many, much smaller cuttings from this branch.
Take cuttings about six inches in length and insert them into pots of good compost.
These will need to be kept moist and in a warm environment to encourage root development.
It’s completely the wrong time of year and they are difficult to get to root from cuttings, but my advice in the garden is always to give it a go, what have you got to lose?
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