Q How can I propagate my albizia tree before I move?

Clare Walsh, by email A

ANNE SAYS Pink silk tree is an apt name for Albizia julibrissin rosea, as its clusters of small florets have long silky stamens, like pink powder puffs. It is a small, flat-headed deciduous tree with mimosa-like leaves. Hardy to -10°C in well-drained soils, it establishes quickly and flowers young.

Collect seeds from the pods and either sow fresh and keep outdoors or store in a cool, dry place and sow in spring. Nick or scratch the hard seed coat first, then soak seeds over night and sow at 15-18°C.

Alternatively, take cuttings. Stem cuttings in summer can be tricky, so try root cuttings in winter. Carefully dig down to find pencil-thick roots. Trim them to 10cm long, with a flat cut at the top and an angled cut at the base, to indicate the orientation. Insert some upright in a pot of 50:50 multi-purpose compost and grit, and lay some flat, 2.5cm deep, in a seedtray.

In summer, pink silk trees are covered in exotic-looking flowers