How can I propagate the Schisandra fruit vine?
It does not sound like the easiest plant to propagate from seed. Cuttings or layering might be less challenging. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association has a guide to growing Schisandra, including propagation information. Here is an excerpt:
“Propagate Schisandra by seed, cuttings or layering. The seeds can be planted in prepared seedbeds 1/4-inch deep in the fall soon after they ripen or indoors in March. Dry seeds need to be soaked overnight. In Herbal Emissaries: Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West, Steven Foster and Yue Chongxi say that in China an acid scarification process is sometimes used, because the seeds have such a hard coat.”
Plants for a Future’s database includes propagation details for Schisandra chinensis:
“Seed: best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in the spring. Germination can be slow and erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
“Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 – 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Overwinter in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring.
“Layering of long shoots in the autumn.”