How to Propagate Buckthorn

Outdoor Sowing

• 1

  Prepare the soil one year before planting. Remove all the perennial weeds and their roots from the area. Rototill the soil. If your soil is sandy, add some organic matter, manure or compost. If the area has a low pH balance, add lime. The next year, in the springtime, proceed with the following steps.

• 2

  Soak the buckthorn in warm water for 48 hours. After that time, remove any seeds you find floating on the surface, because they are not viable.

• 3

  Remove the seeds from water and put them into a 10 percent bleach solution. Allow them to soak for another 20 minutes. Ten percent equals 10 parts water to one part bleach. Soaking the seeds in bleach prevents the fungal infection of cotyledon.

• 4

  Sow the seeds in the area you prepared last year. Plant the seeds, spacing them 39 inches apart, and space each row 157 inches apart.

• 5

  Cover the seeds lightly with soil.

• 6

  Mist the soil after planting to keep the soil moist and prevent the seeds from drying out. Seeds should germinate in five to 10 days.

Indoor Sowing

• 7

  Follow steps 1 through 3 of the previous section.

• 8

  Fill 2- to 4-inch-diameter pots with potting soil. The best time to do this is in January or early February.

• 9

  Sow only one seed per pot, planting them at a depth of 1 to 2 inches deep.

• 10

  Place the pots in a window that has bright light, but keep out of direct sunlight. Keep the soil warm around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 11

  Mist the pots to keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

• 12

  Keep the buckthorn shrubs in the pots for at least 3 months. Then plant outdoors in the prepared place. Spacing is 39 inches between each plant; space rows 157 inches apart.

• 13

  Water the buckthorn shrubs once a week thoroughly.