Woody Plants from Cuttings
Some articles will advise that you should take a cutting of a particular woody plant during a certain month or season. But given the varying locales of individual gardeners and Mother Nature’s seasonal mood swings, it’s better to rely more on the plant’s growth stages than strictly on the calendar. You can propagate many shrubs and trees by rooting a stem cut from the plant. To improve your chance of success, learn a little about the plant you want to propagate. For example, lilacs and deciduous azaleas are most easily rooted from softwood cuttings, which is the soft, new growth of a plant just as it begins to toughen (the stem snaps easily when you bend it). Hollies and camellias, on the other hand, may be rooted from semi-hardwood growth, which is partially mature growth of the current season. Other plants are best stem-propagated from hardwood or mature growth, when the plant is dormant (late fall, winter or early spring). A simple rooting method is to place the cutting (about 4 to 6 inches long), with the lower third or half of the leaves removed, into a small pot filled with moistened medium (for example, a mix of equal parts peat or coir and vermiculite or perlite). Then cover the pot with a plastic bag or seal it in a zipper-style plastic bag to retain moisture. You may speed the process by dipping the cutting into a rooting hormone, available as liquid or powder. The plant is rooted when the stem doesn’t give when tugged gently or when you see new growth appear. For detailed information about rooting techniques or propagating specific plants, visit www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8702.html Or ask your extension agent for a copy of Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings: Instructions for the Home Gardener, N.C. State University Horticulture Information Leaflet 1/99 HIL-8702. Another excellent source of information is Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Their Identification, Ornamental Characters, Culture, Propagation and Uses) by Michael Dirr.