How to Grow a Cotton Tree

Grow From Seeds

• 1

  Gently rub one side of the cotton tree seed with a nail file to slightly weaken the hull. Place the nicked seed in a bowl filled with warm water. Soak the seed for about 24 hours. Drain the seed on a napkin for 10 minutes before sowing it.

• 2

  Fill a 4-inch square pot with a soil mixture made up of 2 parts medium-grit sand and 1 part compost. Leave a 1/4-inch space between the surface of the soil and the lip of the pot.

• 3

  Poke a 1/4-inch-deep hole in the center of the soil mixture. Place the cotton tree seed into the hole with the nicked side facing sideways. Cover the seed with the soil mixture and firm the soil on top.

• 4

  Moisten the soil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Maintain light to moderate moisture at a 1/2-inch depth while the seed germinates. Avoid making the soil mixture soggy since it can stunt the growth of the seedling.

• 5

  Watch for germination starting two weeks after sowing. Keep the cotton tree seedling under warm, bright conditions. Transplant it into a larger container filled with garden soil once it grows to 4 inches in height.

• 6

  Keep the cotton tree in a pot until it appears healthy and well established. Transplant it into a sunny bed with fertile soil in spring of the following year. Wait until the soil warms to 60 degrees Fahrenheit before planting it out.

Grow From Cuttings

• 7

  Prepare a rooting pot before gathering a cotton tree cutting for propagation. Fill a 4-inch square plastic pot with a mixture of 3 parts medium-grit sand and 1 part neutral compost. Poke a 3-inch-deep hole in the center of the pot of soil.

• 8

  Measure out a 6- to 8-inch-long and 1-centimeter-wide cutting from the tip of a healthy cotton tree branch. Find a cutting with no flowers or buds and plenty of young foliage at the tip. Make an angled cut using bypass shears.

• 9

  Strip off any leaves from the lower half of the cutting. Insert it into the 3-inch-deep hole in the pot of soil. Press the soil in around the cotton tree stem to hold it sturdy and upright.

• 10

  Pour 1/2 cup of water onto the soil. Irrigate with 1/2 cup of water whenever the soil feels dry just below the surface. Allow the surface of the soil to dry out slightly between waterings to keep the cutting healthy and fungus-free.

• 11

  Place the potted cotton tree cutting in a warm, bright spot out of direct sunlight. Slip a large clear plastic bag over the top of the cutting to create a greenhouselike environment around the foliage.

• 12

  Check for roots one month after potting the cotton tree cutting. Transplant the cutting into a larger permanent container filled with garden soil once it puts on noticeable growth.

• 13

  Keep the potted cotton tree cutting in a partially shaded spot. Transplant it into a sunny bed with fertile, well-draining soil the following spring once the soil temperature reaches 60 F.