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Overview
Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody perennials e.g. forsythia, cornus and willow in autumn and winter. They can take several months to produce roots, so leave them for a year before lifting and potting up or transplanting.
Do it:
November - February
Takes just:
15 minutes
How to do it
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Look for well-ripened, pencil-thick shoots and remove them horizontally below a node, leaf joint or bud, using secateurs. -
Prepare each cutting by removing the shoot tip just above a bud, and trimming the bottom just below another bud. Trim the cuttings to roughly 20cm in length. -
If you have a rooting compound, dip each cutting into it before planting. Insert the cuttings roughly 10cm deep into a pot filled with loam-based cuttings compost and overwinter them in a coldframe. -
Keep the cuttings watered and shoots should start to appear next spring. Leave plants for at least 12 months before transplanting.
"Remove a 1-2cm sliver of bark from the base of any variety that is shy of rooting, e.g. pyracantha. This is called wounding and helps the natural chemicals within the plant initiate root development. "
"If you are propagating a whole hedge you can place lots of cuttings in a slit trench in a sheltered nursery bed. Line a 15cm-deep trench with a layer of horticultural sand and insert the cuttings, spacing them 5cm apart. "
