Propagating Hardwood Cuttings
One of the easiest propagation techniques is propagating using hardwood cuttings. Since these cuttings don’t have leaves, there isn’t the initial requirement to provide a high humidity environment to stop the cuttings drying out before they root.
I’ve discussed the basic theory of how plants can be propagated from cuttings in the article “Propagating Herbaceous Plants from Cuttings”, so I’ll go straight into practical instructions here.
Hardwood cuttings are even simpler to prepare than herbaceous cuttings, as we use cuttings from dormant deciduous trees and woody plants, and this technique is very useful for propagating fruit trees such as figs, pomegranates, mulberries and quince. Some plums can grow well from hardwood cuttings too, while other’s don’t do so well, it depends on the variety.
This technique is also used for propagating vines such as grapes and kiwi fruit, and the currant family – blackcurrants, redcurrants, golden currants and gooseberries.
The steps are as follows:
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Step 1 – Select suitable cuttings
Hardwood cuttings are taken from deciduous trees and plants (ones that lose their leaves in winter) when they are dormant, i.e. when they have no leaves. The best time for taking hardwood cuttings is from early autumn when the leaves drop to late winter. Take cuttings that are close to pencil-thickness from current season’s growth – it will be mature and woody, not soft and green. Cut off any unripened green growth at the tips. To increase the chances of rooting cuttings:
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Step 2 – Trim cuttings to size
Hardwood cuttings are cut much longer than herbaceous cuttings because they take more time to develop roots and therefore need to use the reserves of food stored in the cutting to keep them alive through winter. A longer cutting stores more food in it.
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Step 3 – “Wounding” the cuttings
Species difficult to root should be “wounded” as this helps encourage rooting. This involves making an additional light cut on either side of the cut stem at the base to expose more of the cambium. The cambium is the light green layer you see under bark when you scrape it away, before you get to the wood, this is a single layer of meristem tissue. Wounding also helps in some cases to remove a physical barrier which may be getting in the way of roots forming. |
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Step 4 – Dip the base of the cutting into rooting hormone (optional) Treating cuttings with rooting hormone can increase the chances of stimulating root growth. This is more critical in plants that are more difficult to root. Simply dip the base into the rooting hormone, that’s all! If using root hormone powder, and be sure to tap the cuttings to remove excess powder.
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Step 5 – Prepare propagating medium and insert cutting The cuttings can either be placed in the ground in a ‘slit trench’ outside, or they can be placed in a container of propagating medium. The cuttings can still lose moisture and dry out, even without leaves, so we try to place as much of the cutting below the surface of the soil, while allowing top 3 buds at the tip to be sitting above the soil level. Leaving 1/4 to 1/3 of the tip of the cutting above the surface achieves this, otherwise just leave three buds unburied.
Slit trench method:
Container and propagating medium method:
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Propagating Grape Vines
Grape vines have a slightly different technique for hardwood propagation, so I will detail it here.
To propagate grape vines, simply take a cutting with 3-4 buds, and push into the propagating medium so that only two buds are unburied.
You can also take very short cuttings containing only one bud known as “vine eyes”. Make a cut 6mm (1/4”) above a bud, then make another cut 5cm (2”) below it to complete the cutting.
Note: vine eye cuttings with their single bud only do not take root as easily as the larger 3-4 bud cuttings.
You can put many vine cuttings into a single container, and then pot them up separately when thy put their leaves out in spring. It is advisable to let them grow in their pots for a year to develop strong roots, then they can be transplanted in the following spring.
As you can see, this technique is very simple, and you can use all the cuttings left over from the winter pruning of fruit trees to propagate more trees. Its better than tossing out, mulching or composting the prunings, and if the cuttings fail, then you can do that. At best, you’ll end up with more trees to plant in your garden, or to give away to others.
Happy propagating!
December 11, 2012 at 9:11 pm |
i need to know why hard wood cutting is done during dormant seasom and why other types of cutting done in active growing season
December 14, 2012 at 11:11 am |
Simply because these cuttings, being of different levels of maturity, taken in different of the seasons, have the greatest potential for root development at these times.
January 10, 2013 at 2:37 pm |
Very nice instruction. I’ ll be pruning my 2nd year grape vine tomorrow. Will also be propagating a few vines, which i hope does leaf. Thanks for the confidence
those illustrations are very nice and helpful.
February 17, 2013 at 12:14 pm |
This is very good information, I wish I had found it 2 weeks ago when I tried some ponds seedling plum cuttings in pots.
Looks like I have over much cutting left above the soil – about two thirds. Anyone know if it will be helpful at this stage to cut them down? They were 30cm long to start with. I think I can do this without disturbing the bases of the cuttings.
Also, I have them in an unheated greenhouse but this is unshaded and gets very hot in the sun – would they be better placed in a shadier location under a cold frame or cloche?
February 19, 2013 at 11:45 pm |
You can cut down the cuttings if you want as long as there are a few buds still left above the ground where leaves will emerge. If they are in a greenhouse, the humidity should support the longer cuttings.
Try cutting some down, and leaving others the same length, you’ll see which works better that way.
All greenhouses should be shaded on very hot days otherwise you’ll cook everything inside, drape some shadecloth over the roof and sun facing walls!
A shaded greenhouse is desirable, but failing that you could use a coldframe to speed up the root formation.
February 20, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Thanks for this. I have cut some down. It might not be to late to try some more following all the advice provided. Unfortunately the greenhouse is to big to shade easily so I will have to be on the ball with the ventilation on sunny days. I might transfer them to a cold frame when the weather warms up.
March 25, 2013 at 4:35 pm
No worries about the greenhouse getting overheated in the last few weeks! This is to report that all my greenhouse cuttings have come into bud. I put them low down in a shaded area. The ones that I left ‘long’ came into bud earlier than the ones I cut down to just 3 buds showing. I am very concerned about watering. My 50/50 peat/sand mix seemed to remain damp constantly and I understand that the cuttings should not be in a wet medium. I don’t want to over water, but I feel sure that there must be some drying out on the warm days in the greenhouse. With this in mind I give them the occasional dribble of water. I hope I am doing the right thing.
February 20, 2013 at 3:23 pm |
If I start a Yuca hardwood cutting in the greenhouse on March 1 what is the earliest date on which I can transplant?
March 10, 2013 at 12:15 pm |
They’re just like any other plant propagated by hardwood cuttings!
March 10, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Thank you. They are in pots as we speak. I intend to transplant on May 1 into raised beds. That will give me 2 months in the greenhouse and 6 months in the ground. They require 8 months total to produce the big tubers. I will have stem cuttings for sale…