Early Growth on Birch Cuttings

[barguy8194]

This is my first time attempting to propagate hardwoods from cuttings. I took these paper birch cuttings around the first week of February. I expected, from my reading, that they would take a couple weeks to begin sprouting roots, and then would start budding and eventually put out some leaves by sometime next month. Spring usually arrives mid-March to early-April here.

However... here we are at the end of February, and this is what my cuttings look like. I’m excited that they seem to have taken off so well, but also concerned that there might not be enough light for them to survive until it’s warm enough to go outside.

I also have two white ash and one yellow birch that have started budding out. My red oak have yet to do anything.

Two questions: when should I transplant these into individual pots? And what should I do to give these the best shot at surviving inside until summertime when they can safely go outside?

 

[eryk2kartman]

Nice one!
You need to let them grow probably full season to get nice and strong roots, so re potting would be done next year.
In terms how they should survive, is there any chance you can put them outside ? We nearly in March.
If nights are still cold, you can bring them in to garage or something like that until last frost is gone.

 

[barguy8194]

Nice one!
You need to let them grow probably full season to get nice and strong roots, so re potting would be done next year.
In terms how they should survive, is there any chance you can put them outside ? We nearly in March.
If nights are still cold, you can bring them in to garage or something like that until last frost is gone.

Well... it’s currently 12 degrees F where I am. High for the next week is predicted to be 38F, with temps down to 1-2F coming again next week. So outside would be a bad idea, and probably not going to happen for a couple weeks yet. March is another winter month around here. I’m on the border between Zone 4 and Zone 3.

Also, do you think I should leave them in this same pot all summer even though they’re so closely planted? Another unexpected thing was all of them leafing out... I thought I’d get three, maybe four, not all six, to take off... so now they seem a little crowded.

 

[eryk2kartman]

You can untangle roots and separate them next year with no problem.
If they are inside now, its warm there so that's one of the reasons they coming out.
I might be wrong but if you put them in the cold (above freezing) dark room now it might be not a very good idea, maybe someone else will advice something.
Otherwise i think you need to give them as much light as possible, try to keep them in lower temp range, not beside a heater.

 

[0soyoung]

Too early to be excited, IMHO. The difficulty with hardwood cuttings is that the leaves emerge and there isn't enough water in the stems for them to maintain turgidity. The end result is that the leaves droop and wither, then dry, turn brown, and the stem dries, and that is that.
Gotta make a humidity tent (aka terrarium) for them, I think, to keep the humidity high around them. Heated inside air is extremely low - like a desert.

 

[Hyn Patty]

I agree, I would definitely bag these and get them under lights with low bottom heat if possible. Keep the humidity high (but not wet soil) and they might be all right. If these are local trees you can always take new cuttings later if these don't make it. It will be fine not to have sunlight for these for a while as they'll do much better under lights - as bright as you can without being sun.

 

[barguy8194]

I’ve been misting them with a spray bottle every morning and night, making sure to wet every bud and the top cut ends, trying to simulate higher humidity. And I’ve got the pots on top of a radiator for bottom heat (actually works better than it sounds - the radiator is in a metal casing so the top doesn’t get too hot, just warm, and it’s in a pretty drafty hallway so even though it’s right on the heat, the ambient temperature is usually low- to mid-60s). Not optimal, I know, but in your opinions, would that be “good enough?” I’m considering buying a cheap grow light from WalMart, so that should help the light situation, but as of now I just have them in the sunniest spot in the house.

 

[parhamr]

Not optimal, I know, but in your opinions, would that be “good enough?”

I’ve tried indoor, open-air hardwood cuttings much like this and failed.

 

[barguy8194]

I’ve tried indoor, open-air hardwood cuttings much like this and failed.

Thanks! Guess I’ll go for a humidity chamber too.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Yeah, misting them unless you can set up a timer to do it for you every few minutes isn't practical nor very helpful. Bagging or doming will increase your chances and keep it much less work.

 

[penumbra]

Leaves frequently preceed the roots. They probably are not rooted yet.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I would keep them on top of the radiator, but bag 'em. Just slide the whole tray into a large clear dry cleaner's bag. Seal it up. That will bring humidity up and keep it up.