Mamaki is the native Hawaiian name for Pipturus albidus or the Hawaiian nettle tree. It is a woody perennial shrub or small tree growing to between 6 and 30 feet in height, with an upright growth habit. The foliage is lightly toothed along the edges and features a striking gray-green coloration marked by contrasting purple veins. Although it is only found in a few small areas on the Hawaiian islands, mamaki is widely cultivated as an ornamental and medicinal herb. Growing mamaki is moderately easy and can be done through seed and vegetative propagation, however, seed propagation is more reliable. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Seed Propagation
1. Harvest ripe fruit from a healthy, well-established mamaki tree when the outer skin of the fruit appears creamy-white on the outside with little or no green. Store the fruit in a plastic bag for two weeks to ripen them if any green coloration remains.
2. Place the mamaki fruit in a mesh colander in the kitchen sink. Gently press the fruit into the mesh until the flesh begins to break apart. Remove the seeds from the center. Place the seeds in a bowl of warm water and massage them between your thumb and forefinger to remove any remaining flesh. Pour the water off and cover the seeds with clean water.
3. Mix together 2 parts finely milled peat moss, 2 parts potting soil and 1 part sand to create a good seed-starting mix for mamaki. Fill a 2-inch deep seedling tray with the soil mixture. Saturate the soil with water and allow it to drain for 15 minutes. Gently press the surface of the soil to even it out and help remove excess moisture.
4. Spread an even layer of mamaki seeds over the surface of the soil, sowing no more than one per every 2 square inches. Do not bury them. Mist the surface of the soil using a spray bottle to settle the seeds.
5. Place the tray on a propagation heat mat set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Stretch plastic wrap across the top of the tray and place it near a source of bright, indirect light, such as near a sunny, south- or east-facing window.
6. Mist the seeds every other day. Look for seedlings after 15 days. Transplant the seedlings to a large pot or permanent bed when they reach 3 inches in height and have a set of true leaves.
Cutting Propagation
7. Choose several 6-inch-long cuttings from a healthy, well-established mamaki tree in early summer. Select leafy twigs from the end of a second-year limb. Feel the twigs and bend them to ensure they are green and pliable.
8. Snip the cutting at a 45-degree angle with a pair of bypass pruners. Make the cut 1 inch below a set of leaves. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting. Place the cuttings in water.
9. Mix together 2 parts finely milled peat moss, 2 parts potting soil and 1 part sand to create a good rooting mix for mamaki. Fill several 4-inch plastic nursery pots with the peat moss and soil mixture, creating one pot for each cutting. Water the pots of soil to a depth of 4 inches and allow them to drain for 15 minutes.
10. Poke a 3-inch hole into the center of each pot of soil. Dip the end of each cutting in rooting hormone and insert them into each pot of soil. Press the soil around the base of the cutting until it is sturdy.
11. Water the cuttings to a depth of 4 inches every five days. Place a plastic bag over the top of each pot and place them where they will receive bright light and temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the plastic bag after 20 days and place the plants in a protected area outdoors. Plant them in a permanent bed after 45 days.
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