Stem Cuttings by Lauren Bonar Swezey

This article from Sunset Magazine covers the basics of propagating cutting. As well as a discussion on hormone types and there uses.

Can any members clarify the liqued hormone stated in this article. We have a rooting hormone(Auxin) that you can buy in a gel that you dip cuttings into directly with no dilution and we are also able to purchase a liqued hormone (Auxin) in a transpalnting aplication like a plant starter for transplanting trees. I think both of these are different to what is suggested in this article.
Any specific info on the liqued hormone used in this article please!

Brett, I believe the liquid hormone they are refering to is Dip and Grow. At least the bottle labeling looks very similar. There is some information on my website about it HERE

Pretty basic stuff, hard to object to any of it. The rooting media mentioned, 2 parts perlite to 1 part peat moss, is very light and fluffy. I find that I require a heavier mix, sand and peat moss, maybe with some perlite in there. But some of what I am rooting is hardwood cuttings, larger and heavier than those pictured in the article (principally juniper, which can be made to root from 30-cm hardwood cuttings); so maybe we are not at cross purposes. Even so, too lightweight a mix lets cuttings outdoors slew around and become loose. The article does not mention the container for rooting (although it shows small plastic pots); that makes a difference too.

I've come to prefer coir to peat moss. Coir doesn't become so water-resistent when it dries out.

Barry

As an experiment I took 30 cuttings from a Juniper Procumbens (not nana) last spring and ten have taken. The optimum time for striking these cuttings, I am informed, is in fall. I used propagating sand peat moss and rooting hormone powder. I used a propagator with a lot of moisture to get to this stage. Any feedback would be well received.

Ash

I have propagated juniper cuttings with and without hormone powder in spring, and got nearly 100% strike rate. Has anyone else made juniper cuttings in either fall or spring, and what were your results?

Junipers are incredibly easy to propagate, at least here in Michigan. I simply stick my cuttings in the grow beds as I prune, without hormones, and my success rate is about 90%. For those big branches that are important, I shave off about 1/2 inch of bark from the base, dip them in regular rooting hormone sold at any nursery, and place them in a pot of sphagnum moss, which I keep damp. I get 99.99% success with this method.

Then again, here in Michigan, I have found that I can stick my late fall trimmings from my Larches right in the ground, without hormones, and they will leaf out in the spring and do just fine, as long as they remain untouched for a full year.

But I can't root a Ginkgo to save my life. ?



Will

Will Heath wrote:Junipers are incredibly easy to propagate, at least here in Michigan. I simply stick my cuttings in the grow beds as I prune, without hormones, and my success rate is about 90%. For those big branches that are important, I shave off about 1/2 inch of bark from the base, dip them in regular rooting hormone sold at any nursery, and place them in a pot of sphagnum moss, which I keep damp. I get 99.99% success with this method.

Then again, here in Michigan, I have found that I can stick my late fall trimmings from my Larches right in the ground, without hormones, and they will leaf out in the spring and do just fine, as long as they remain untouched for a full year.

But I can't root a Ginkgo to save my life. ?



Will

Yes, but the question was, which season? When do you find the best success with juniper cuttings?

Chris Johnston wrote:Yes, but the question was, which season? When do you find the best success with juniper cuttings?

No, the question was "Has anyone else made juniper cuttings in either fall or spring, and what were your results?" To which I replied, I simply stick my cuttings in the grow beds as I prune. No time limits imposed, no season guide, just as I prune.

To elaborate....

Winter is tough here, the ground is frozen and too hard to slid cuttings into, besides I don't do much pruning in the winter here, as frostbite tends to discolor my finger tips, making them unsightly and somewhat painful. I save that pleasure for bow hunting and ice fishing.

Any other time of the year that I prune, when the ground is not frozen, has always worked well for me, including late fall. I have found that late fall works best for Larches and the Junipers do well also. Although, spring seems to have a higher success rate, but that may be because I do a lot of pruning then.




Will

Chris Johnston wrote:I have propagated juniper cuttings with and without hormone powder in spring, and got nearly 100% strike rate. Has anyone else made juniper cuttings in either fall or spring, and what were your results?

A buddy of mine had 100% success or close to it with juniper cuttings taken the latter half of August. He is located near St. Helena in the California North Coast Ranges.

In San Francisco I have had success with juniper cuttings taken from August through November (and some I cut this June seem to be doing okay). My rate is more like 50%, but my technique is not as careful as my pal's. Obviously, they get more of a running start if cut earlier than November.

Barry