Willow is considered the easiest plant to reproduce from hardwood cuttings. This is primarily because they already possess higher levels of rooting hormone. There are a wide range of willow types.
Several woody trees, shrubs and vines can be propagated by hardwood stem cuttings. Plants that can be propagated by this method include willow, poplar, dogwood, forsythia, wisteria, grape, currant, gooseberry and elderberry.
You only need some basic tools, a little bit of patience and materials to grow a small cutting into a beautiful and thriving tree. Growing trees from cuttings is an environmentally friendly and fun way to engage with nature. It also allows you to learn more about the art of plant propagation.
Stem Cuttings
Because the new growth of trees and shrubs hardens as the summer progresses, cuttings taken at different times of the year vary in their ability to form roots. Softwood and herbaceous cuttings are the most likely to develop roots and become independent plants, hardwood cuttings the least likely.
Technically, you can transfer your cuttings to soil at any time. In fact, you can actually propagate directly into soil, however, it's much harder to do within your home. When you propagate in soil, you have to keep a good balance of soil moisture, air flow, and humidity.
Warm growing medium temperatures accelerate cell division which leads to faster callusing, root initial development and subsequent root growth. It also speeds up the dry-down rate of the growing medium, which also helps encourage better rooting. The best way to warm the growing medium is through bottom heat.
Remove the lower leaves and insert the cut ends into a moist rooting media such as vermiculite, perlite or potting mix. Placing cuttings directly into water is not recommended because it deprives the developing roots of oxygen. The resulting root system is weak and spindly and does not adapt well to a soil environment.
Herbs (mint, oregano, basil, rosemary, lavender, and sage) grow fast in water and will even start to produce a new leaf every day. Some houseplants that work well are English ivy, philodendron, tradescantia, purple passion, coleus, and of course that old-is-new-again favorite: lucky bamboo.
Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up. This plant has heavy rooting and is ready to be moved to a pot with potting soil.
Look for a young, pliable branch and cut a piece about 10 inches long at a 45-degree angle. Cut away all the leaves except a few at the top. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and place it in the hole that you made. The cutting should sit with about a third of its length below the soil and two-thirds above.
Hardwood cutting are taken in the dormant season (mid-autumn until late winter) after leaf fall, avoiding periods of severe frost. The ideal time is just after leaf fall or just before bud-burst in spring. Although this type of cutting may be slow to develop roots and shoots, it is usually successful.
Most softwood cuttings are taken in spring and early summer, from the tender new growth of the season. If potted by mid-summer they will develop sufficient roots to survive the winter, otherwise pot up in the following spring.
Some plants like papaya, marigold, chilli, capsicum, tomato, etc., cannot be propagated by asexual method.
Plants such as butterfly bush, rosemary, and dogwood root well from softwood cuttings. Greenwood cuttings: taken from young stems that are starting to mature, but still in their first year. They're usually cut in early to midsummer. Shrubs such as gardenia and boxwood tend to root well from greenwood cuttings.
Some plants will root in water, but cuttings will develop a better root system when rooted in a soil-less potting mix. Sand or perlite can also be used, especially for cuttings that need good drainage and may rot if kept too wet.
To use your homemade rooting hormone, dip the bottom of the cutting in the solution before “sticking” the cutting in rooting medium. Using apple cider vinegar as rooting hormone is a great way to give your cuttings that extra jump they need to grow roots.
Plant cuttings mistakes can range from using dirty tools to potting up your cuttings in the incorrect potting soil. Too much harsh sun, too much or not enough water, and using offcuts from plants that are sickly or flowering can also put your cuttings at risk.
Natural Fertilizers
Epsom salt promotes deep root growth for plants so during times of drought or little rainfall, Epsom salt plants will have deep roots to seek out moisture and nutrients. Plants with deep roots thrive when other plants with shallow roots shrivel up and die if water is not constantly provide to them.