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Cut a branch and stick it in the ground

Posts: 56

Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5

posted 13 years ago

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What's it called when you cut a branch off a willow and stick it in the ground and then it grows?

Also, and more importantly, I just did this with a broken rose stick, will it grow?

Can you all help me and come up with a list of what trees/shrubs can be propagated like that??

I would LOVE the help

Emerson White

Posts: 1206

Location: Alaska

posted 13 years ago

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It's called rooting a cutting. Don't try it with too big a branch, 5-7 nodes, 2/3rds of them with leaves removed and buried under ground.

jesse tack

Posts: 56

Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5

posted 13 years ago

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Rooting a cutting. Got it. Thanks.

Paul Cereghino

gardener

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Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America

posted 13 years ago

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Also 'livestake' or 'sticking cuttings' or 'field propagation of stem cuttings' or....

Check out some materials from an old workshop--including my thesis

--around half way down the page--

Cuttings and Bioengineering in Restoration

* Growth Response of Three Native Shrubs - Paul R. Cereghino
* Streambank and Shoreline Protection NRCS Engineering Field Handbook Chapter 16
* The Practical Streambank Bioengineering Guide - NRCS Aberdeen, Idaho
* The Stinger Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 6 - NRCS Boise, Idaho
* Factors Affecting Selection, Acquisition and Use of Plant Materials in a Soil Bioengineering Project Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 18 - NRCS Portland, Oregon
* Soil Bioengineering Demonstration Project, Coyote Creek, Lane County, Oregon: First and Second Years Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 19 - NRCS Portland, Oregon
* Producing Pacific Northwest Native Trees and Shrubs in Hardwood Cutting Blocks or Stooling Beds Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 24 - NRCS Portland, Oregon
* Ability of Pacific Northwest Native Shrubs to Root from Hardwood Cuttings (with Summary Propagation Methods for 22 Species Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 30 - NRCS Portland, Oregon
* Native Shrubs as a Supplement to the Us of Willows as Live Stakes and Fascines in Western Oregon and Western Washington Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 31 - NRCS Portland, Oregon
* Waterjet Stinger Technical Notes Plant Materials No. 39 - NRCS Boise, Idaho
* Vegetative Propagation of Poplar and Willow - Greg Morgenson

Paul Cereghino- Ecosystem Guild
Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer

jesse tack

Posts: 56

Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5

posted 13 years ago

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Very cool Paul.

I'll take some time with all that information, but my first impression is all sorts of awesome!

Thanka

Salkeela Bee

Posts: 102

posted 13 years ago

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Things that I've rooted:

Ash,
Black currant
Red currant,
Gooseberry
Privet
Buddleia
Fushia
Dogwood
Willlow

Also herbs: rosemary, lavender and mint

Apples don't root from cuttings I've been told.

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4437

Location: North Central Michigan

posted 13 years ago

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willows are best rooted in late fall into winter, they'll grow roots in the wet winter weather..

rose cuttings are better done in the spring but they have to be kept moist and somewhat shaded..the wood should be newer wood in the spring, if you do hardwood that is better done in the late fall or winter.

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Jordan Lowery

pollinator

Posts: 1528

Location: zone 7

posted 13 years ago

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It's called rooting a cutting. Don't try it with too big a branch, 5-7 nodes, 2/3rds of them with leaves removed and buried under ground.

thats a bit silly emerson, willow is good at this stuff. ive rooted branches that were 1.5" thick stems and 7 ft tall. stick it 2 ft in the soil and water really well daily, instant tree. right now i have about 30 curly willows rooting most of them at over 5ft.

im told you can do the same with mulberry but no one will let me cut a huge branch off there mulberry tree so i have yet to try it.

The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka

Anonymous

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I would highly rec... The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture : A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of over 1100 Species, Va... or a book like it.

i stole a few branches from campus a few weeks ago. two weeping willow two unknown. i can't tell if the unknowns are rooting (i dropped them in a jar of water) but the willows are. I also had bought a weeping willow for the spot that needed a weeping willow. now i have three and since i often go out of my way to keep things alive i'd like to plant them.

will these branch cuttings retain the form of their parent (at full grown?) and how valuable is willow for say alpaca sheep goats or poultry. one thing i know is keep it far away from my house! those btards got wonderland roots!

Salkeela Bee

Posts: 102

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Willow are amazing. One year my MIL brought a branch of a twisted willow round at easter - she had it all decorated with painted egg shells etc and as the leaves were out we put it in a vase of water. You've guessed it of course - it rooted.

it is now about 8' tall in the garden and has spawned a whole load more. If a branch breaks off I just push it in the ground and many of these have taken. Some in places we don't later want them.... In fact I've just walked in from the garden after transplanting one of these ....

I've also heard that if you want to root something else that a few branches of willow in the water you use for your cuttings helps rooting of the other cuttings. Something in the willow itself promotes rooting I gather. Haven't tried it myself...... (Note to self - must try that next time!

)

T. Pierce

Posts: 254

Location: Virginia

posted 13 years ago

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this is the way i did it about 5 yrs back. just pruning our willows i took about the amount of pruned pieces that would fit in a 5 gal. bucket. kept it full of water and in a couple wks. they all had roots growing on them. i kept the nicest 5 and put them in the ground and they have grown very well.

from my experince the ones that rooted the nicest were the thicker branches.....i.e. ones about the size of your smallest finger. these were about the biggest branches we pruned. the thin little ends of branches also rooted but didnt look to do as well as the larger pieces.

gary gregory

Posts: 395

Location: northern california, 50 miles inland from Mendocino, zone 7

posted 13 years ago

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hubert cumberdale wrote:
thats a bit silly emerson,

https://permies.com/permaculture-forums/7864_0/meaningless-drivel/photo-shopped-bike-ride

Gary

Anna Carter

Posts: 66

Location: Lacey, Wa

posted 13 years ago

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Yeah, I whacked a few 3 inch, 5 foot long branches off a willow a few years ago, just left them on the ground, and they grew. Also 6 foot, inch diameter branches stuck a foot in the ground grew too.

Plums also start really well- I took about 15 one year old wood cuttings and stuck them in the ground and all of them are growing. Really cool.

I'm a young and I'm not going to contort myself to fit in with our very ill society. I am a citizen of the world, not a mindless consumer. If you want to follow along with my journal, here's my blog: Life Happened Today

John Polk

steward

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Interesting that willow cuttings may help other species to grow. Perhaps they contain a natural rooting hormone. If that is the case, a few buckets of soil from a willow forest might be a good medium for rooting projects. Hmm.

Salkeela Bee

Posts: 102

posted 13 years ago

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clarkai wrote:
Plums also start really well- I took about 15 one year old wood cuttings and stuck them in the ground and all of them are growing. Really cool.

Ah! Now that I didn't know.

Jordan Lowery

pollinator

Posts: 1528

Location: zone 7

posted 13 years ago

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Interesting that willow cuttings may help other species to grow. Perhaps they contain a natural rooting hormone. If that is the case, a few buckets of soil from a willow forest might be a good medium for rooting projects. Hmm.

there is a natural rooting hormone, the easiest way is to have your own willow tree/bush so you can have a constant supply of sticks. chop them into a few inches long and soak in water for 24 hours. water your cuttings or foliar spray with the water. works well and imo better than the commercial rooting stuff.

The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka

Posts: 52

Location: Australia

posted 13 years ago

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I love willows and will need to get stuck into rooting cuttings.

I have about 3-4 willow cuttings that have grown into small trees with one a bit brown but otherwise doing better now that the dog buried half an eaten rat under it.

I want to establish nothing but deciduous trees that drop huge amounts of leaves each season so I'll need to gather a list. That means English and American species.

I have tons of Eucalypts on the property as thats what grows easily/natively.

Half the small trees/saplings the previous owners planted have browned and shrivelled to a crisp.

So I'll have to do lots of mulching, compost filling my rooted cuttings to give them a head start instead of fence post digger to make a hole and bury a sapling in cruddy old clay filled dirt.

Cheers,
PeterD

Posts: 114

Location: South Carolina Zone 8

posted 13 years ago

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Well ever since I saw the willow fences I have been considering rooting willows (as well as transplanting shoots) So while I know willows root well can anyone tell me if spring (which I have heard) or fall is better. My plan is to root them in pots and then transplant so that I can simply water a batch rather than haul hose or buckets. BTW it will be what we call scrub or buck willows although I have 3 weeping and have been considering rooting a few more of those as well to give as gifts.

T. Pierce

Posts: 254

Location: Virginia

posted 13 years ago

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Peter K. wrote:
Well ever since I saw the willow fences I have been considering rooting willows (as well as transplanting shoots) So while I know willows root well can anyone tell me if spring (which I have heard) or fall is better. My plan is to root them in pots and then transplant so that I can simply water a batch rather than haul hose or buckets. BTW it will be what we call scrub or buck willows although I have 3 weeping and have been considering rooting a few more of those as well to give as gifts.

mine was done middle of summer. thats why i think rooting in pure water was successful before transplanting. i didnt have to keep putting water on them to keep them alive and flourishing while in the hot summertime.

Posts: 107

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Awesome thread, thank you! Ordering the book you mentioned at the moment, Boddah.

PeterD, I hear you. We planted sixteen fruit tree saplings in the past couple of days for a very traditional future orchard. We mixed in store-bought mushroom compost mix. The heavy clay here would be a death warrant on any of these babies if we were to set a tree in solely clay and pack it down on top of it.

maikeru sumi-e

Posts: 313

posted 13 years ago

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I'll remember that about the plums.

Does it also work on apricots and peaches?

Posts: 42

Location: Central Missouri

posted 13 years ago

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Also recommended, Secrets of Plant Propagation by Lewis Hill. Silly name, but required text book when I was studying horticulture. It covers all the various methods of propagating plants, then has a list of plants and the best methods to use for each.

I read an article once where the guy described all the elaborate cutting-rooting techniques, with hormones, automated misters, etc.. When done he said, OTOH, his farmer neighbor dips his cuttings in anti-transpirant (keeps leaves from loosing moisture), put them in pots in a make shift visqueen greenhouse on the North side of the barn, and has as high a success rate as the 'expert'.

Posts: 52

Location: Australia

posted 13 years ago

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Nice, application rates are 50mL to 1 litre of water for anti-perspiration liquid.

I take it you can make up a small bucket and just submerge the cuttings in then plant stem into standard potting mix or compost, or left in a small cup of water.

The liquid is not supposed to be used on edibles for a month an a half or so before consumption but that should be ok for non-edibles and even edible cuttings as you won't be consuming anything from them until they are large trees.

Cheers,
PeterD

Posts: 238

Location: swampland virginia

posted 13 years ago

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Remember someone telling me their dad transplanted bushes and trees with great success by spraying anti-perspiration onto the leaves. Never used anti-perspiration liquid, but the story stuck in my mind.

I have been wanting some black willows, acquired a few twigs from a tree, and stuck them in water. Sure I did it wrong. 18-24 inch twigs in 5 inches of water. Most of the leaves wilted, then roots appeared and leaves at the tops of the twigs perked up and started growing again. Next time I'll reverse the root leaf ratio. Didn't think much about it last time, just wanted to see if they'd root.

Next time, will toss a few other tree twigs in the glass to see if they will root with the willow.

Melba Corbett

Posts: 164

Location: North Carolina

posted 13 years ago

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Salkeela wrote:
Things that I've rooted:

Ash,
Black currant
Red currant,
Gooseberry
Privet
Buddleia
Fushia
Dogwood
Willlow

Also herbs: rosemary, lavender and mint

Apples don't root from cuttings I've been told.

Apples are one of the easiest to root from cuttings, but take it off new growth prunings, about 8 to 12 inches long, and score the bark with a knife blade on one side about 3 inches up from the bottom, and all the way to the bottom. Stick it in moist soil in the shade. It will usually root. However, you will end up with a standard size tree which will grow enormously, so keep that in mind. Grafting is not hard if you wish to graft onto dwarfing stock like hawthorne, which never grows very large.

Wild Edible & Medicinal Plant classes, & DVDs
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Salkeela Bee

Posts: 102

posted 13 years ago

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Red Cloud 31 wrote:
Apples are one of the easiest to root from cuttings, but take it off new growth prunings, about 8 to 12 inches long, and score the bark with a knife blade on one side about 3 inches up from the bottom, and all the way to the bottom. Stick it in moist soil in the shade. It will usually root. However, you will end up with a standard size tree which will grow enormously, so keep that in mind. Grafting is not hard if you wish to graft onto dwarfing stock like hawthorne, which never grows very large.

Ah! Okay I'll try. The reason I thought they were difficult was because one plant I bought from Irish Seed Savers was advertised as: unlike most apples, easy to root from cuttings!

I have some dwarf root stock already planted and I'm hoping to try some grafts later in the year....

Does apple graft onto hawthorne? We certainly have plenty of that round here!

Melba Corbett

Posts: 164

Location: North Carolina

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Salkeela wrote:
Ah! Okay I'll try. The reason I thought they were difficult was because one plant I bought from Irish Seed Savers was advertised as: unlike most apples, easy to root from cuttings!

I have some dwarf root stock already planted and I'm hoping to try some grafts later in the year....

Does apple graft onto hawthorne? We certainly have plenty of that round here!

I've been told by some of the professional apple growers around here that it does.

Wild Edible & Medicinal Plant classes, & DVDs
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Posts: 19

Location: 5a, cool humid, 34"rf,

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THE FOLIAGE AND STEMS OF PLANTS HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE AMUNT OF ROOTS THEY HAVE AND VICE VERSA. THATS WHY WHEN YOU ORDER PLANTS IN THE MAIL THEY ARE NOT JUST PRUNED FOR SHIPPING, THE TWO ENDS OF THE PLANT WORK TOGETHER.
ALSO, ANYONE EVERY TRY USING WILLOW AS A LIVING FENCE? HAD AN IDEA OF PUSHING STICKS IN THE GROUND AND WATERING WITH A DRIP TAPE UNTILL THEY TOOK OFF FOR A FENCE.

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Posts: 238

Location: swampland virginia

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I have not tried, but read about creating a willow fence. Was going to try it with black willow, but think that is not one of the willow people use for living fences. Also thought about mulberry, grasses, and/or mixed species

leaning towards specific grasses and mixed species trees, shrubs, etc.

Posts: 114

Location: South Carolina Zone 8

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I got a response earlier but everything I have read about willows says put them in the ground a few weeks before they bud out. That said you folks have flung a craving on me. I am actually looking forward to this winter and planting willow twigs to make a fence. I do have one question since I have this craving. How well does a willow root after they have leafed out and been growing a while (it is well into spring here and everything is leafed out heck I got pears bigger than both my thumbs)? What would I need to do to root them this time of year or should I just wait and stew till winter/very early spring? I am willing to try as willows grow fast and I will have plenty of new twigs to clip and plant but I want the best possible method given the time of year considering it is already considered a bad time from what I have read. I hope I don't annoy anyone but I am fairly new to rooting trees preferring in the past to dig ones when dormant and transplant or purchase one to plant.

Salkeela Bee

Posts: 102

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Nothing to loose with trying!

Upthread, I explained about our "Easter" branch that was leaved out and it rooted in water. Planted in May and it's now a tree!

Possibly the success rate might be lower but other than that....... go for it!

Posts: 52

Location: Australia

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I want to take all the fruit trees on the property and cut off some branches, and try growing them out.

I know some of them if not all are dwarfs but it does not bother me with 20 acres I would rather have full size trees on their own root stock than dwarfs. Plenty of fruit for the animals, insect and a small percentage for me and everyone is happy.

I also want to hit my existing willows hard and make lots of cuttings. I don't think they are the weeping variety but I would like a very large number of them going.

I got some carob tree seeds and would like to hit them as well once they start growing.

Tagasaste (Tree Lucerne [yanks call lucerne alfalfa] I probably won't as I ordered about 1,100 seeds to plant all over the property as I want tons of nitrogen fixing trees that can double as stock feed when the dry dearth hits and other food sources are brown and crispy.

Cheers,
PeterD

Cheers,
PeterD

Paul Cereghino

gardener

Posts: 865

Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America

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@ Peter K.

Physiologically younger tissue, and plants that are actively growning form roots easier, but die faster following excision. So it is a race between root formation and death. That is why harder to root material are often grown as softwood cuttings with hormone under mist... maximize rate of rooting, minimize rate of death.

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Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer

cini McCoy

Posts: 30

Location: Manhattan

posted 13 years ago

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Willow bark contains high concentration of salicylic acid, a plant hormone that mediates a whole host of functions and mobilizes plant tissue to counter pathogens AND is a preservative (used in canning). The old trick with cut flowers is to dissolve Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) in the water to make them last longer.
(belated hello to all, this being my first post on the board).
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John Polk

steward

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Location: Currently in Lake Stevens, WA. Home in Spokane

354

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I watched a video from the UK (where hedgerows have been around since before the middle ages) where they planted a willow hedgerow. They set one row with each cutting set 45° in one direction, and then set another row with each cutting facing 45° the opposite direction. After the cuttings 'took', they went back and 'wove' the cuttings to form a diagonal grid. Through the years, they kept weaving them...like a natural 'chain-link' fence.

With two rows of willow, they had woven an impenetrable fence (to all but the tiniest of species of animals). This hedgerow became habitat to a multitude of species.

Fred Morgan

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Location: Northern Zone, Costa Rica - 200 to 300 meters Tropical Humid Rainforest

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We do the same with amapola - also Moringa is incredibly easy to propagate this way. We have put 5" chunks in the ground, 12 " below, 6" above, grows like crazy.

Heck, leave it on the ground and often it will sprout if it is wet enough.

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Matthew Fallon

Posts: 308

Location: long island, ny Z-7a

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my dear friend and fellow rustic artist Kim Vergil from up in Montreal Canada does amazing works with willow, she creates (and taught me to) Living fencing,and living furniture/garden sculpture using freshly cut willows.
here is her site, lots of info on willow and the process etc...there are book recommendations there too someplace if i recall correctly. [size=12pt][shadow=red,left][glow=red,2,300] http://kimcreations.net/[/glow][/shadow][/size]

we met at an annual natural artists gathering, which is actually happening in 2 days! cant wait to see her and everyone again

psyched. the gatherings websites are www.woodlanders.com and www.facebook.com/woodlanders
if you are in the vicinity of Warwick,NY this Thursday through sunday you may get the chance to play with some willow craft!

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Thelma McGowan

Posts: 170

Location: western Washington, Snohomish county--zone 8b

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forsythia takes root very easy .
I have constructed small pea trellis and tipi type trellises with long forsythia branches. They actually sprouted 2 years in a row while the peas were growing on them. I chopped about 25 woody branches and poked them in the ground and had a nice hedge in about 2 years.

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Saskia Symens

Posts: 127

I like...

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elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is about as easy to root as willow...

Growing a self sustainable home for ourselves us and future generations...

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4437

Location: North Central Michigan

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my mom had a willow stick she used for all summer and fall to prop up her laundry..left it out in the winter holding up the clothesline but it froze to the ground so it wasn't moved..and it rooted..that tree is now about 60 years old..and still doing fine..

i have rooted a lot of things but the things recently were..a top broke off of my fruit cocktail tree, baby, not sure which graft it was but it was broken in 3 areas..we stuck them in a bucket of water and one has roots and other 2 have bumps.

most vines will also root in water..

if you ever prune something and are just going to throw the prunings away, never hurts to try if you might like a clone..go ahead..what are you wasting..you were just going to throw it away anyway.

there are books that suggest the best time of year and type of rooting process for each plant..but just give any a try anytime you can't go wrong trying

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

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