Landscape Plants for Pennies
Taking cuttings, both dormant and leafy for propagating plants.
When you learn the "craft of cuttings", you can grow
high-cost...
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by Richard Schmidt
Richard Schmidt Many of the most popular decorative (and
practical) shrubs, trees, vines, or fruits can be
propagated by the simple technique of rooting a piece of a
"parent" plant. In fact—since one such "adult" can
produce hundreds of identical offspring—this is the
chief method used by professional nurseries to multiply
woody vegetation. The information that follows—along
with a little time and patience—can provide you with
all the landscape material you want for your yard or
homestead!
LEAFY AND DORMANT
There are two kinds of cuttings: "leafy" types that are
taken and rooted during the growing season, and "dormant"
twigs that are clipped in the winter months.
In addition, the leafy category can be divided into two
subgroups: [1] "softwood" cuttings—which come from
succulent new growth—and [2] "half-ripe" (or
"semi-hardwood") cuttings that are taken from partially
mature stems. Half-ripe wood is usually easier to work
with, because it's quite resistant to the plant
propagator's chief enemy: rot. You can test a
branch—to see if it's half-ripe—by bending the
twig. Semi-hardwood stems snap and break cleanly . . .
while wood that's too old-or too young-folds over onto
itself without breaking.
Dormant cuttings, on the other hand, are taken from fully
mature one-year-old wood while the plants are "asleep" . .
. from late fall through winter. Such cuttings remain
inactive until spring, when—miraculously—many
of them will send forth both roots and leaves to form new
plant life.
Now let's take a look at how to propagate both leafy and
dormant cuttings, using some familiar plants as examples.
FROM LEAFY TO LUSH
Pyracantha (or firethorn)—a shrub with bright autumn
berries—is easy to multiply from half-ripe leafy
cuttings.
First you'll need a "stock" pyracantha that's vigorous,
healthy, and free from pests. The bush must also possess
the genetic traits—such as berry color—that
you'll want to see in the "new" plants.
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