How do I take cuttings?

This may seem like a really basic question to most of you, but I'd like advice about how to take cuttings in general, and specifically from a couple of plants.

We have (what my wife tells me is) a large Aukuba Japonica and a long established Forsythia tree (bush? shrub?) in our garden.



Problem is that they're right smack where we want to build a new terrace/patio, so we're going to have to get them moved. That's going to be a trauma in itself, but we'll be getting a professional in to do that, so it's not the issue here.

Realistically, it'll probably be later this year/early next year before this happens, and I'd like to take a few cuttings from both plants and have the chance to get them established in pots before we move them, so that if the worst does happen, and we manage to kill them both we have new plants to start from.

Now I've tried taking cuttings before, using advice from friends and family, but they've always died on me, so clearly I'm doing something wrong.

Any simple instructions for a novice like me?

 

The Forsythia is easy, peg a branch down and it will root where it touches the soil. Chop it off and pot up when it has rooted.

 

Not sure a layer will be rooted by the Autumn, or next Spring?

 

This is a good question, that I too am curious about.

Most of my cuttings fail. How long should a cutting take to root?

Also, if you layer a plant, in general, how long should that take?

 

Cuttings can take a while - its a race between "root and rot". You have to keep the top half going (with mist, and shade, etc.) whilst the roots have time to get established, but the high humidity (or lack of water at the other extreme) will make the cutting rot.

Generally layering takes longer because the branch is still attached to the mother plant so it draws some energy from there - which keeps it alive, but lets it dawdle at making roots

 

Hello,

I can't claim to be an expert at cuttings-I choose almost always to layer, divide or basal cuttings, with division and basal cuttings being the most successful.

I would say that the best time to take these will be when the plants have been dug up. Take a strong sharp knife and slice of a few hefty chunks off the base between some of the thickest stems, dust the wond lightly with fungicide and replant where you want them to grow straightaway. Give it a few hours then water in.


I am not sure how successful this may be with yours but if it were my garden thats how I personally would do it.

 

Hi ballinran

Both of these plants should root easily from cuttings.

I used to work on a plant nusery and we would grow a few thousand of the aucuba from cuttings each year. They were stuck into a rockwool plug and placed under polythene.

Rockwool plugs can be tricky to get hold of for the amateur gardener, but there is an alternative in the form of oasis (The green stuff flower arrangers use.) which is fairly easy to get hold of, look on ebay under crafts->Floral Supplies

You can cut the oasis into blocks about 2in square and make a hole about the with of the stem, a pencil will probably be ideal, half the depth of the block so that you can insert the cutting.

To make the cutting count down 2 sets buds from the top of the plant, and cut just above the bud below.
Now cut just below the last buds to remove the bottom piece of stem. slice off the bottom buds and the leaves, and carefully scratch away a small section of the outer skin of the stem at the base (this is called wounding)

Now trim reduce the upper leaves by about 2 thirds, just cut straight across them. This will help prevent your cutting loosing too much moisture.

Soak the oasis in water and let it drain for a minute or 2. Dip the base in rooting powder and insert it into the hole you made in the oasis.

It now needs to go under polythene. One of the best ways to do this is to stand the oasis blocks in something like a margarine tub. you can always cut another strip of oasis to wedge them in so that the cuttings remain upright.

Put the tub and the cuttings into a polythene bag and ie the top of so that they are in a bubble. This will raise the air humidity around the cuttings preventing them from drying out. Check the oasis for water regularly, and begin looking for signs of rooting after a couple of weeks.

You can insert aucuba into compost but they don't take so well as the compost holds to much water and there is more chance they will rot before rooting..

Forsythia should root just as well in compost as the oasis, and doesn't need the wounding. but the basic cutting method is the same.

Instead of the polythene bag you can also use a plastic bottle to create mini propagators for your cuttings.

Paul

 

That is great SidSpider, I will be straight out there today to my local GeeTees and buying oasis. Thanks a lot-I am naff at these kinds of cuttings-with 3 children who all want to do some gardening mine do tend to get "loved to death".

 

I just thought I'd provide you with a photo of a cutting I just made as guide.

 

Here is what I did to start baby shrubs from parent shrub. First get good soil, get pot and get garden Hormone Powder. Cut shrub small limb in diagonal, dip cut end in the hormone powder about up to 1/2 inch. Have a pot with good soil ready, push your finger down the middle, put hormone covered limb carefully in the hole. Gently push soil around hole with fingers, make firm. Sit pot outside, keep moist for about a week. Leave alone, in a few weeks, maybe 7 weeks, you will find little white routes at the bottom hole of the pot. And there you have it. (If it does not rain, give some water) Use a tray to sit it in, but don't let it get boggy at this point. If I want to make babies I usually start in the spring, that way come fall/winter they are good just to put in a protected area outside for the winter. And it is good to winter them over, makes them strong. I would do several pots, so you do have success.

 

can i use this method with seed propogtion aswell-i want an alternative to peat plugs.

 

Lollipop, you can make your own "potlings" with newspaper. They are tough enough, and just melt away in the ground when planted, like peat pots.

 

Lollipop you can get a paper potter and make your own. I know Suttons do them, not sure who else sells them.

 

Excellent work ladies,


Will be looking at making one of them myself-whittling and all that.


Thankyou both very much

 

The pot making set is amazingly lovely and posh, but you don't need it: see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHw-DJ0EKbQ