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At this time of year, many of us have hardwood cuttings on our mind, so I figured I'd post a thread to let you know the techniques I'm using this year (my first year trying hardwood cuttings).
Take the cutting from last year's growth. Each cutting is about 6" long and includes at least 5 nodes. If the branches allow, I take mallet cuts, as well as straight cuts.
I wound the basal end (the end pointing toward the ground) by cutting it at an angle with a clean and sharp knife.
Using a clean paintbrush, I lightly "paint" on a little powdered rooting hormone (I use rootone).
I then take a 5" high box and put 1" of sand inside. I lay out the cuttings (all facing the same direction, of course) on the sand, and then cover with another inch of sand. I sprinkle with water to make it just a little damp, and place it in a refrigerator at 40 degrees.
I expect that in about 3 months, I should be able to remove these cuttings and find calluses on the basal end. At that point, I'll "plant" them in rooting medium and expect to see some growth.
Who knows if I'll succeed, but I'm giving it a shot and journaling every bit of it (check my journal if you're curious, they are under the Trees category).
Currently in my fridge are Crepe Myrtle cuttings, lilacs, laurel, and some mystery shrub that we'll find out what it is later.
So, what's everyone else doing? does anybody have a different technique they'd like to share?
Dave
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