Taking Hardwood Cuttings From Shrubs

Some plants such as half hardy perennials or tender shrubs may not make it through the winter so by taking cuttings you can ensure that you can enjoy them the following year taking cuttings in autumn is also a good way of increase your stock of your favourite plants.

Taking hardwood cuttings from shrubs.

Plant cuttings are grouped into four basic categories. Some evergreen plants hollies for example can also be taken at the same time of year as other hardwood cuttings. Alternately plants like begonias propagate nicely from leaf cuttings so a specific tutorial is best. Hardwood cutting or hardwood propagating refers to the process of growing new shrubs or trees from segments of dormant branches typically in the fall or winter.

Hardwoods are generally flowering plants such as rose bushes and softwoods are more often evergreen shrubs with softer branches. Then in autumn and early winter you can add hardwood cuttings to your bounty. At that time use sharp clean pruners to take six inch long pencil diameter cuttings from vigorous shoots on the plants you want to propagate. An example of a good plant for a hardwood cutting is angel s trumpet which produces trumpet shaped flowers that grow on vines.

The process to take hardwood cuttings begins in the fall right after the leaves drop. September is a good time to take cuttings of many plants. In summer you can take cuttings from tender perennials and shrubs to propagate them. Hardwood cuttings are those taken from plants that are usually perennial including fruit plants trees climbers including vines and deciduous shrubs.

Start with cuttings from your plants or ask friends for their cuttings. You can use hardwood cutting to grow most deciduous plants and trees although you may have success with strong evergreen varieties as well. But in a pinch hardwood cuttings can be taken anytime of the year. Hardwood cuttings provide an easy and reliable method of propagating a range of deciduous climbers trees and shrubs and as bonus they are taken from mid autumn until late winter when more time is usually available to the gardener.

In the old days gardeners propagated favorite shrubs by taking cuttings and sticking them in the ground. The point of taking hardwood cuttings in non growth periods is more to do with doing as little harm to the parent plant as possible. Nature is a survivor. Softwood greenwood semi hardwood and hardwood.

Hardwood cuttings are also only taken from shrubs bushes and trees that lose their leaves every year. This method will not work with evergreen. Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs and vines see the suggested plant list in the fall after leaf drop and before the ground is frozen. First always clean your pruners or knife with rubbing alcohol or 1 part bleach and 9 parts water to prevent the spread of disease.