I thought you could take a leader and root it to make a new tree? Well, maybe not then.

This is surprising, I had thought pines were difficult to root. But how can you argue with a Trueman?
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Propagation of Wollemi pine from tip cuttings and lower segment cuttings does not require rooting hormones

Stephen J. Trueman and Rodger F. Petersa

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, LB 16, Fraser Road, Gympie, Qld 4570, Australia

Abstract
Domestication of the recently discovered and highly endangered Wollemi pine has relied almost entirely upon serial propagation of cuttings from a very small conservation collection. This study assessed the requirement for applied auxin to induce rooting in tip cuttings and lower segment cuttings of Wollemi pine. Both types of cuttings proved easy-to-root, with mean rooting of 71% for tip cuttings and 82% for lower segments. Auxin application (at 1.5, 3.0 or 8.0 g indole-3-butyric acid/L) did not accelerate root protrusion from propagation tubes or affect final rooting percentages.

Scientia Horticulturae
Volume 109, Issue 4, 15 August 2006, Pages 394-397

Pines are difficult to root. The problem stems from the lie put out by some that Wollemia is a pine; it isn't. Seems that a Trueman doesn't always know the truth!

Resin

The only problem is that plants in the Araucariaceae, if the cuttings are taken from horizontal and lateral shoots rather than vertical growing, apical shoots, the cuttings will continue out their lives growing horizontally and never gain a leader. I believe the people cultivating and hocking this tree spray the mother plant with a hormone to encourage orthotopic growth and multiple leaders (which can of course then be rooted and turned into more plants).

I have rooted a lot of Cunninghamia lanceolata, 'Glauca'. Cuttings taken from lateral shoots never seem to know which way is up, even when staked. They struggle to go vertical. However, after a year or two they sprout from the base and that sprout goes straight up with more vigor than the side shoot cutting.
Since I have no experience rooting Araucarias, I wonder if they behave the same.

Here is the Wollemi tree with two leaders. Could the right leader be rooted? It's gonna get cut off anyway. How would one best try?

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I've rooted tip cuttings of Araucaria bidwillii once, after it froze to the ground and regrew with multiple leading shoots. It worked great. I'd say to cut it off, treat with dip and gro, set it outdoors in perlite on bottom heat, in shade, and keep it moist.... and wait.

It's true that many cutting-grown and grafted conifers exhibit plagiotropic growth and not just those mentioned. Might be fun sometime to make a list of those that do and those that don't. I've seen it occur with Cunninghamia as well, and all the Araucariaceae, Abies (when grafted), Taiwania, and Torreya, for starters. Podocarpaceae don't seem to do this so much.

Wollemis can be propagated via cuttings, but as with most conifers and lot of woody plants the process can take a while compared to really weedy species like ivy.

On top of that, a strong rooting hormone is generally advised, be wary of how they list the concentration on the bottle.

But even with rooting hormone, time of year is important, protection whist vulnerable as well; temperature, moisture and pest free.

There would be a difference between terminal and subterminal cuttings, not sure on outcome. Also the stripping of leaves and how that is done will be very important, it is quite hard to remove wollemi foliage without destroying the stem.

Even if you get all of those perfect, you can expect to get 20 of 30 cuttings to root... set up the best environment and jus just hope the statistics go your way!