Hardwood cuttings doing OK so far.

Late last fall I took hardwood cuttings of hydrangea 'Tardivia, viburnan dilatatum 'Erie, viburnum dentatum 'Autumn Jazz, salix daphanoides, physocarpus 'Summer Wine and cornus alba 'Gouchaulti. After treating with rooting hormone I stuck them in a former vegtable bed and covered each type with a big pot weighted with a brick. I uncovered them last weekend and they are leafing out and look healthy. So far, so good. I am sure the extremely mild winter we had played a role. Hopefully they are busy putting down a healthy root system.

Thanks for posting. I'm collecting details because I have a couple of plants I really want to multiply and have never seriously tried rooting cuttings. Using the veggie bed off-season makes great sense to me. Do you think it would work now, so early in the season? I can't put out the big stuff for several weeks, is that long enough to root woody perennials?

Thanks, Pam

Sorry Pam, too late for hardwood cuttings. You need to take them in late fall to mid-winter when the plant is dormant. Next group of cuttings that can be taken is softwood cuttings. These are new growth cuttings typically taken in early-mid June followed by semi-hardwood cuttings taken in July-early August when new growth is still flexible but has hardened off a bit.

What you can do now is layer the plants. I do this routinely every year for dogwoods, viburnums, hydrangeas. I know it can also be done for magnolias. Not all shrubs will respond to this treatment so you need to do a little research.

Hope this helps.

Felisa

Thanks. One I really want more of is Endless Summer Hydrangea. It should be easy to layer now. How long do you think it needs before division? Fall? Next spring?

Pam

If you have low branches just shave off a thin layer of the bark, pin the shaved section to the ground then cover with a light layer of mulch. Be sure to mark it well. The layering should have developed roots by the fall but I ususally leave it until the next spring when I sever the now rooted stem from the mother plant and pot up.

Felisa