Propogating corkscrew hazel

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can tell me the best way to propogate an Avellina contorta, Harry Lauders walking stick.

I know normal hazels are easy enough to strike cuttings, but will it work with the contorted variety too? I don't want to be cutting bits off if it's a waste of time, but would like to get some cuttings, as i have a couple of friends who'd like some.

Hi Sueone,

according to Dirr's propagation book; you could do hardwood cuttings mid-February, 6" long, 1% IBA solution, 70 F bottom heat for 4-5 weeks and then in cold-frame. Apparently this has low rates of rooting. The other method is stooling. Use a shoot of pencil thickness where it is ringed at base, smeared with 1000 - 2500 ppm IBA paste (I guess use powder and make a paste from it) and cover with soil (May). Takes until December. Probably the best way, and the way I'm familiar with, is grafting. It says tongue or cleft grafted on 1 year seedling rootstock. This has the best rate of 80-100%. It goes on to say that budded plants were more vigorous than grafted plants so maybe a bud-graft, I'd say chip. Keep in mind to place the graft high enough. I remember one cut flower grower who's grafted plants were grafted too low and in a wet field. Many of the plants rotted at the graft which was at soil/water level. He also mentioned that C. avellana tends to sucker too much for rootstock. The 15' plant I have suckers heavily with both rootstock and mixed watershoots.

Well, I hope this helps. Good Luck! Mike