going about cuttings

leatherback

The Treedeemer
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Decided to moe this out of the thread to keep @sorce s thread clean..

What is your trick to deciduous cuttings? Being new to cuttings beyond taking them for mom I haven’t had any luck. Trying random samples all year trying rooting hormone water etc. I haven’t found a good way to nail down what works yet. I’m leaving them all in until spring at least as they still “feel” green.

This year has been a very good year for propagation for me. From seed (I now have roughly 300 seedlings of maples, zelkova, elm, larch, but also a few dozen cuttings and for most it looks like they struck, arakawa maple, corkbark elm, malus, cork bark pine (still alive at least!), Azalea, BRT, rosemary, mume.

I have taken them all the same way. When pruning, I have taken the still very young or just maturing branches and cut sections of 2-6 inches long. Removed all but the top leaves. Dipped in rooting hormone dip and placed in 4 inch diameter containers, each filled halfway with my regular substrate. While holding the cuttings in place I filled the pots with fine substrate, seems to matter little what type, but as I have a large bag of fine vermiculite this is the predominant part. Water well and let the pot drip out. Then I placed the whole thing in a large zip-lock bag.

early may:
1595397810328.png
The bagged plants were placed in a spot in my garden with an hour or 2 sun in the morning. I have opened the baggies at least weekly to refresh and let the leaves dry. Add a little water whenever no condensation was on the inside of the baggie.

After about 6-8 weeks I open the top of the baggies, just undoing the zip. And over time I move the baggie down untill either the cutting start to wilt (Which is a reason to bring the baggie up again!) or untill it is at the pots rim.

This weekend, new growth in red, a good sign roots are present:
1595397916878.png

Corky elms
1595397954408.png
 

Trenthany

Chumono
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Thank you this is exactly what I needed! Species dependent on what time of year you collect cuttings? Or just whenever you have cuttings from pruning?
 

Trenthany

Chumono
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Thank you! That’s what I’ve been doing as I clean my yard but I’m hoping the bag will make the difference!
 
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