Symphoricarpos, ripe for taking hardwood cuttings, a great bee & wildlife plant as well as solid hedge that does well in the shade
A gentle reminder to myself & others to propagate large quantities of hardwood cuttings – they’re so simple & quick, and the rewards are bountiful.
The best time for hardwood cuttings is from mid-autumn until late winter. Kind of round about now.
There are detailed instructions at RHS Cuttings: hardwood and a video of @CarolKlein on Gardeners’ World.com.
What I love about hardwood cuttings is that they’re so easy — yes, you can dig a trench, line with grit and backfill with compost enriched soil. Or, if you’re not fussed about survival rates, you can put a stick in the ground.
The only provisos for this slapdash approach are:
- Make sure the ground is clear of grass
- Keep it mulched, to retain moisture and keep down competition
I didn’t follow my own advice and this is what happened:
Red Dogwood cuttings somewhat swamped by grass
Also, I neglected to water the cuttings throughout the drought this summer, and there were about 80% casualties. But considering it took me 10 minutes to “plant” the cuttings, it was a good return.
As much for the benefit of my forgetful mind as for you, the dear reader, here’s a list of plants for this seaon’s hardwood cuttings:
- Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood)
- Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (Golden Twig Dogwood)
- Amelanchier canadensis (Juneberry)
- Berberis (Barberry)
- Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea buckthorn)
- Ribes x culverwellii (Jostaberry)
- Ribes nigrum (Blackcurrant)
- Ribes laxiflorum (Whitecurrant)
- Ribes uva-crispa (Gooseberry)
- Sambucus canadensis (American Elder)
- Symphoricarpos (Snowberry)
And I’ll take more care this year, I promise 🙂