HOW TO PROPAGATE

Keep an eye out for their black seed pods, which hang down from the branches in midsummer. the trick is to collect them before they twist open and throw their seeds away from the parent tree.

First, soak the seed in hot, but not boiling water. allow the seed to soak for 12 to 24 hours.

Drain and remove all swollen seeds, which should have increased two to three times over and be brown in colour.

Continue the hot water treatment until all the seeds have swollen up. discard any that will not take on water.

Plant out the seed into a seed tray filled with a mix of one part vermiculite or pumice and two parts potting mix.

When the seedlings are 2cm high, plant out into individual containers. Because tagasaste don’t like their roots to be jostled when they are young, avoid this by planting the seedlings into cardboard toilet rolls or root trainers filled with potting mix. Stack these in a larger container with drainage holes in the bottom.

Don’t over-water your germinating seeds and seedlings, and use the inoculated water if possible.

When seedlings are 10cm high, pinch out the leader to create a multi-stemmed bush.