Ginkgo 'Spring Grove'

Viburnum Valley: Here is another rememberance from the University of Kentucky, now that you mention those frat boys contained in the baboon cages (actually I think they were macques). You have to understand that I was never a woman of the world. Also, I have always been a bit nearsighted. One day while walking on campus, three guys in very strange running suits came running toward me. As they approached, they split to run around me on either side. At that point I realized that they were "streakers", they had no running suits on at all!

gloria:

Maybe they were sterile hybrids developed on the nearby UK agricultural experimental station, and you could be forgiven for not observing signs of potential reproductivity.

Leastways, they were probably shamed for life for not impressing you!

Why do I have the image of a Gertrude Jekyll or Penelope Hobhouse casting an arched brow or skeptical glance down a patrician nose over perched glasses, clucking their tongue while murmuring "...that'll never amount to much."

And Christopher Lloyd would have said.........................................?

"Let there be light!"

conifers, I am mopping up. You made me laugh so hard I snorted coffee out my nose.

Dax.... I got a manual in front of me. Don't know if it wil help you or not, but... Here is what Dirr's propagation book for woody material says for the Ginkgo.

Ginkgo is not difficult to root from cuttings and even material from old trees reasonably well. More literature points to July as the optimum month for taking cutings. Senior author experienced good succeess in June ( Illinois). 4 to 6" long, 30 year old tree, 8000 ppm IBA -solution, peat, perlite, mist, with rooting in 7 to 8 weeks. Other reports support these results. Late July ( Boston), 8000 ppm IBA-talac, mist, rooted 100% in 7 weeks. Late June, terminal shoots elongating, 8000 ppm IBA-talac plus thiram, rooted 100% in 4 to 5 weeks.

Spur cuttings, same treatment as above rooted 80%. The cuttings produced new shoots and grew well. Although the root system is rather coarse, rooted cuttings transplant well and can be overwintered without and problem.

For soem reason Ginkgo is usually not produced from cuttings for commerce. There is no doubt the rooted cuttings are slow to grow off compared to grafted or budded trees. Tennessee nurserymen commented that rooting was no problem and cuttinsg were overwintered in place. The next season ( not transplanted) they did not grow ( height increase). The second summer after rooting they grew and ranged from 6 to 24" in height. A New Jersey nurseryman noted the same rsponse but mentioned that early rooted and transplanted cuttings grow off better than those rooted later. One grower said hormone (IBA) was not beneficial, another insisted ( with data) that 8000 ppm IBA-talac was best.

Cultivar differences exist and one grower reported 'Autumn Gold' rooted well and ' Princeton Sentry' did not.

Grafting: Cultivars are budded on seedling understocks in summer. Whip and cleft grafts have been used for pot grafting in January- February.

I've read it, also read what Dirr says about Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' and that they too are successfully propagated from cuttings. I've also read what Dirr says about Metasequoia (as cutting grown), referrring to California, tried that without success. The Metasequoia cultivars I've purchased, were all grafted. I've tried two winters (with Metasequoia) and no success. Followed his directions to a T. So... I know grafting works and that's what I'll do. It's very simple, especially Ginkgo and all Asian Acers, so I choose to go that route.

Maybe someone else will be successful with cutting grown Ginkgo, but I'll leave that up to them!

Best,

Dax

Dax... I have a few fresh of the Metasequoia glyptostroidies seeds if you want to give them a try at germination.

I often wonder if some of the trees that are hard to propagate from cuttings would maybe not do better using willow-water as a hormone rather than any of the IBA solutions. I know it something I plan on giving a try. Had you tried or thought about that?

I know the huge ancient Metasequoia down here is grown next to some Taxodiums just a bit aways in from the pond creek in a semi boggy area and the soil is on the acidic side. Just a thought that maybe giving the cuttings some bog or pond water instead would help with rooting the cuttings. Ya, I think outside the box. LOL

I have tons of seedlings and seed again in the fridge already. They germinate very easily.

You may try your idea with Dirrs info on softwood cuttings, but not hardwood.

I bought 1/4 ounce of seed so I'll have hundreds of seedlings again, but thanks!

I still prefer grafting as well. It's just so much simpler...

And always keep thinking, it's rational man. I think that's great...

Dax