how do I save or propagate a picea pungens hoopsii

[CityChick]

Went to Mum's yesterday.  She has a picea pungens hoopsii in her back garden and after some recent windy weather it now has a distinct lean and a bit of wobble to it.

It has a lot of sentimental value to her, so I'd like to try to help to save it if I can.  I could try fixing it to a strong stake, but if its wobbling already I'm thinking some roots must be broken? Would that be right? Could it survive or would I be wasting my efforts?

And any advice on how best to stake it.  I'm guessing I'd need a big, strong tall stake (the tree is at least 7 foot tall) and some sort of cross part to support the stake and stop that pulling over too?

And will it survive if I just stake it or is there anything else I could do to help it recover?

Being realistic I think its also planted in the wrong place which doesn't help (I moved it from a large pot to the garden one spring several years ago - when next doors large walnut tree wasn't in leaf.  Doh! :-[  So I think it gets rather too much shade in spring and summer and the top bit has been growing with a bit of a lean for sometime now - growing away from the shade. It also seems a bit leggy and green for a hoopsii, but could that be due to its position and/or age as it used to be more bushy and blue when out growing its pot on a sunny patio...

I've googled a bit about how to propagate them - seems air layering might be my best option.  I've done it once with a rubber plant indoors, but never outside on a tree!?  Anyone else done this?  Is now a good time to do it?  Any idea how long it would take to root?

Any advice much appreciated :)

[CityChick]

[Slug_killer]

Years ago I propagated a Picea pungens 'Kostar'. I took loads (100+) of semi-hardwood cuttings in the autumn.

I took cuttings 6 inches or so long, removed lower needles, dunked in rooting power, inserted into pots and placed in a bottomheat propagator until the following summer. 75% had died, but the rest I potted on and two years later had a hand full of plants about a foot tall and planted them in the garden

Before I moved house I had two reasonable specimens, and one runty one. No doubt, by now they have been replaced with tarmac or block paving, as thats the current trend for front gardens !