In early 2021 I 3D printed around 20 root propagation balls to test out. I used them on azalea and gardenia bushes. I had good success with 15 of the 20 producing roots. Those are now all in 3 gallon pots waiting to be planted on some new property later this spring.

Due to my area having mild winters, I was told that using the propagation balls during winter and into spring should not be a problem. An opportunity arose to start a conservation project for a nonprofit. This group manages land all over the country and has various native plants that really need to be propagated. This weekend me and a couple of friends deployed 44 root balls on various persimmon trees in hopes to be able to plant a few persimmon orchards to help feed the local deer.

The supplies we used was a knife, TakeRoot root stimulator, potting soil, Osmocote fertilizer, and the root balls.

To get started, we trimmed approx 1 inch of bark off well chosen limbs. You always want to inspect the branch you are going to trim to make sure it will be a nice looking tree. Any branches up from the cut that have damage or have fallen off leaving a scab or hole wouldn’t be good choices.

We then applied the TakeRoot to the exposed area. Just apply it generously all over the area you removed the bark from.

Once the TakeRoot is applied, we then could add the propagation ball to the branch. We had already taken a good quality potting mix and applied the proper amount of Osmocote fertilizer. The brand we had said once capful per 1 gallon of soil. The soil should be dampened before packing the propagation balls. When packing the propagation balls, make sure to not overfill by leaving a trench where the branch will go. Since we had a few hands helping out, we were able to stage the soil in the propagation balls. The propagation balls I printed use zip ties to hold the ends together. Most of the ones I’ve seen on Amazon and other places also use holes for zip ties. Ones that include clips probably work well too, however I’m worried about small brittle pieces.

We applied these to a number of trees that could support the number of propagation balls we put out. Keep in mind that although a tree could support dozens of the balls, each one you deploy will require the branch pruned from just below the propagation ball up. If this is a nut or fruit tree, you are removing probable fruit bearing branches. Don’t go overboard and eliminate all your best branches and impact your harvest. Also don’t try to go to long on the branch, smaller sections will allow more energy to go into the root systems after planting vs a taller tree that will require more energy for the tree. Its a delicate balance.

We were able to put out 44 propagation balls across 5 trees. We also marked our trees with orange marking tape to better see them from a distance for follow up checks. We are hoping by late may to have some new persimmon trees.

Best of luck to you all and happy propagating!