Hardwood cuttings

[andy]

It's fast approaching the time to get the hardwood cuttings in. Now there's several pros and cons with hardwoods.

Firstly, they can take ages to root. If you take some cuttings now, some might not root until next summer. They are also very prone to rotting off if not planted in very free draining compost.

But, they do not need any special treatment at all....put them in a pot....or even in the ground and leave them to it, no heat or protection needed.

Among the species that can be easily propagated this way are philadelphus, privit, lonicera (both shrubby and climbing), dog woods, willows, forsythia, leycesteria, elderberries, grape vines and some fuchsia sp.

I have taken a few pics of how it could be done. There are no ideals and these are for guidelines only. If you want to be perfect, the cutting should be about 8-10" long, the thickness of a pencil and have 3 sets of nodes (leaf buds).....one at the bottom, one in the middle and one at the top....although the cuttings can be 12-15" long or as short as 6" and only have 2 sets of nodes or many nodes (as in the salix)

In these pics, i have used salix alba chermesina (orange bark) and Philadelphus virginal.

Pic one. Cut off a length of appropriately sized stem. You will often get 2 or 3 cuttings from one stem especially on plants like the willow or grape vines. My secateurs are standard felco 2 just to give you some idea of scale



Pic 2....cut straight under a leaf joint. Make sure your cutting implements are sharp !!!



pic 3 shows the cut above a node....which is at a 45 degree angle. This is to stop water sitting on the cutting and freezing during the winter



And pic 4 shows the finnished product.




Once the cuttings are done, there are now many options open to you. But whatever method you choose, the bottom of the pot or trench must be filled with grit otherwise the cuttings will rot.

If you go for the pot option, get a pot big enough for the cuttings and put a few crocks in the bottom if available. Then add a 1" layer of frit and then fill up with compost.....potting compost will be fine.
You can either plant the cuttings individually or tie them into bundles and plant them like that. plant the cutting so about 50% of it is below soil level. Water in well.
Put the pot outside in a sheltered area. They could be put in a cold greenhouse as long as they're not allowed to dry out too much.

Alternatively, if you've got some space in a veg plot or border, you can put the cuttings in there. Just dig a trench.....you can just insert a spade, move it back and forth to create a V shaped hole, put an inch of grit in the bottom, put the cuttings in and replace the soil.
Water in and leave.

Both types of cuttings should start rooting the following summer and will be ready for potting up eith in autumn or the following spring.

If there's anything that you don't understand or want to know further, please ask

Andy

[Cheerypeabrain]

I've just done some cuttings from my Daddy's cornus and COMPLETELY cocked it up... (did them same as the ones for passionflower!)
Nil Desperandum.....I'm going back with my loppers on Sunday <evilgrinsmiley>
thank you Andy
CPBx

[andy]

Yep...they're just sticks really CPB.

I once put a few forsythia sticks in the ground to mark where i'd planted some tulips in autumn.
When i dug the tulips up the following june, the "sticks" were rooted plants !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NB....forgot to mention with the cuttings, some species are hollow so when you do the 45 drgree cut at the top, just seal it with some molten candle wax. This will prevent water getting in the hollow bit and freezing.

You can also do the above with all the cuttings if you want but it's not really needed.

You can also use rooting hormone....use one specially for hardwoods, but again, i don't usually bother

[Cheerypeabrain]

RIGHT...OK Mr Andy Sir...I have followed your instructions and have done some proper hardwood cuttings...dogwood and another large shrub from meDad's garden...pink flowers just opening...haven't a clue what it's called but I'll try and find out! (it's very pretty tho..)

cheers
CPBx

[Deleted]

those are some well used secatuers! i never bother with hardwood cuttings because i forget about them and they die!

[Deleted]

Thank you for all that info Andy and the pics will help greatly....so nice to see it done almost 'live'.
I will be able to refer to it whenever needed once I have printed your instructions out.
many thanks

Wx

[oldmoleskins]

this is mildly off-topic as what's happened could be called layering... but for those who have yet to try and still doubt sections of hardwood can produce new plants - take a look at this:

I felled a cherry back in March, and the timber has been in a stack for logging ever since.
Today I finally got round to chainsawing it into logs, and one of the branch lengths pressed into the soil below has produced shoots, and my guess is that left to it's own devices, it would have produced roots in time too...

OM

[fozzie]

If you are pruning Roses at this time of year, just follow Andys pics using the prunings, Then stick them in the ground around the Rose you have pruned so you know what they are. I normally put them about 18 inches from parent plant, then move them into 6"pots or final position when they show signs of life. Hit rate normally >50%, free plants for no effort.

Foz

[Chuckles]

Thanks for that, but what a coincidence fozzie, I lightly pruned Cottage Garden today and put some cuttings in a large deep pot, also a few from a small Apricot climber (unknown name). Have hidden them away to take their chance.

A few weeks ago I trimmed up some long branches from one of my Iceburg Climbers, have put them in a bucket of water to see if they root. Rosefriend is successful with this method so fingers crossed. I love freebies

I'll prune harder early next year.

[sweetleaf]

I did Cornus Alba? (x3) and Philadelphus Virginal (x3) and both types have new buds!
;D ;D
Thanks Andy, 100% success so far!

[andy]

Just a timely reminder to think about getting hardwood cuttings in now

Among the plants you can grow are philadelphus, salix, cornus (not that easy by hardwoods) deutzia, kerria, grape vines, privet, buxus and forsythia.

Also note that the cuttings don't have to go in pots. If you have a spare bit of garden, they can go straight in the ground......just dig a small trench about 6" deep, put 1" grit in the bottom, chuck the cuttings in, back fill and let them get on with it !!!

Good luck

[Pip]

Thank you for the excellent advice Andy.

Pip

[Chuckles]

andy said:

Just a timely reminder to think about getting hardwood cuttings in now

Among the plants you can grow are philadelphus, salix, cornus (not that easy by hardwoods) deutzia, kerria, grape vines, privet, buxus and forsythia.

Also note that the cuttings don't have to go in pots. If you have a spare bit of garden, they can go straight in the ground......just dig a small trench about 6" deep, put 1" grit in the bottom, chuck the cuttings in, back fill and let them get on with it !!!

Good luck

Thats just reminded me I said I would do some cuttings of my variegated privet for my neighbour, thanks Andy

[Chuckles]

greety said:

andy said:

Just a timely reminder to think about getting hardwood cuttings in now gardenworld.proboards103.com/index.cgi?board=prop&action=display&thread=1162490283

Among the plants you can grow are philadelphus, salix, cornus (not that easy by hardwoods) deutzia, kerria, grape vines, privet, buxus and forsythia.

Also note that the cuttings don't have to go in pots. If you have a spare bit of garden, they can go straight in the ground......just dig a small trench about 6" deep, put 1" grit in the bottom, chuck the cuttings in, back fill and let them get on with it !!!

Good luck

Thats just reminded me I said I would do some cuttings of my variegated privet for my neighbour, thanks Andy

30 Privet cuttings done

[andy]

I took some willow cuttings (salix alba chermesina) like the orange stemmed one in the link that i did.

I bunged them in a few inches of water just to stop them drying out a few weeks ago and they've started rooting I've done another 50 odd cuttings today but i don't know whether to treat them as normal hardwoods....put them in compost and chuck em outside, or to continue growing them in water .....or i might just do a few of both.

[andy]

Here are those willow cuttings mentioned above....nearly 3 feet high. I'm having to keep them in a smaller pot to keep them small...almost semi bonsai otherwise they'd easily be 6 foot + by now.

It's lucky i've taken them as our ones at work....including a 40' high weeping willow, has imported willow leaf beatle which will eventually kill them.

[Ladygardener]

Wow that's fantastic Andy. Thanks for the link and the advice.

[Chuckles]

If I recall Monty did some cuttings on GW last friday, can't for the life of me remember what of though ;D Any how it reminded me of this thread Andy did and the great pics he posted of how to do it

[Jasmine]

I think Monty did roses didn't he Chuckles

[andy]

bit early for hardwoods yet...you can still take semiripe cuttings at the moment

Wait till all the leaves have dropped for hardwoods

[Ladygardener]

When I brought a few sprigs of my Sarcococca in over winter to enjoy some of the blooms I left it in the little jar after the flowers faded. I've been changing the water regularly and now low and behold, one of them has started to put out small strong fat roots. I'm delighted and will pot it up later on today I think and keep going with the other 2.

[Chuckles]

Thats a nice bonus and good to know Ladygardener well done

[Ladygardener]

Thanks Chuckles it was worth doing it was no bother just to change the water every couple of days and I love them the scent is wonderful.

[Chuckles]

Its very rewarding in my book to have something that you have grown yourself. Ok, with cuttings like that you have a long wait until you have something of a reasonable size but you grew it. I have some box cuttings and a few other bits that have taken 4/5 years to reach a reasonable usable size but I grew them I've just potted them on every year and watched them mature.

[Jasmine]

What a nice surprise Ladygardener. I think I'll have a go with sarcococca and box this year.

[Ladygardener]

Yes it was Jasmine . I've heard that box cuttings can be done very successfully.

[Chuckles]

Just for the record I didn't do my Box cuttings in water but maybe you can, not sure. I was using them as an example of a cutting that takes a while to mature to something big enough to plant out

[Jasmine]

I think I'll try in compost and in water although I have to say, except roses, I have little luck with compost cuttings and much more luck with cuttings in water!

[Ladygardener]

Apr 12, 2013 15:07:10 GMT Chuckles said:

Its very rewarding in my book to have something that you have grown yourself. Ok, with cuttings like that you have a long wait until you have something of a reasonable size but you grew it. I have some box cuttings and a few other bits that have taken 4/5 years to reach a reasonable usable size but I grew them I've just potted them on every year and watched them mature.

It gives a real sense of achievement Chuckles does'nt it and as you say, plants are a reasonable size. Some of the plug plants I' ve gotten over the years have'nt been the size of my baby finger.

[andy]

Don't forget that if you're trimming back your winter bark colour now, pop the cut stems into the ground and keep watered...they should root. just put them in as you cut them...don't bother trimming them.