Taking Cuttings

[neutralguard]

Hello. I have a question (or two) pertaining to taking cuttings.

I live in Keller, Texas (zone 8, I believe), and there are two trees I'd like to take cuttings from. One is a redbud of some sort, and the other is just this gnarled, ugly (non-flowering) tree that I really like. I'm not sure if any of that information will prove useful or not.

Anyhow, when should I take the cuttings? I've read that I should take "softwood" cuttings on some websites, and I've read to take "hardwood" cuttings on others. Just so I'm clear on this, "soft" and "hard" are referring to sap flow, more or less, right? I mean, do you assume that Spring and Summer are "softwood" seasons? I'm still very new to gardening, if you couldn't tell.

I have already attempted to take a cutting from the redbud, but it didn't go so well. This was late last Spring, and foolishly, I removed all the leaves. I'm thinking that that's what caused it to not root. I should have only removed the flowers, I think. I also used a powdered root hormone.

Questions:

- Which season(s) should I take these cuttings?
- What, exactly, do "softwood" and "hardwood" refer to?
- How long should I wait before testing to see if they've rooted?

Please feel free to add anything I should know about, or to link to anything that might answer the questions if you don't feel like typing a lot. I know I asked quite a bit.

Thanks!

[TheLorax]

I can't suggest much for the gnarled ugly tree you really like. If it's Cratageous spp. (Hawthorn) or another species with which I have familiarity, then perhaps.

For your Redbud, softwood tip cuttings in late spring or summer should be ok. Try both.

Which rooting hormone do you have?
What did you try to root them in?
Where did you place your cuttings while you were attempting to root them?

Removing the leaves from your cuttings, in and of itself, might not have caused the failure of your cuttings.

Let me go see if I can find a website that will answer your questions and provide you with visuals.

Please know you might have better success with air layering a Redbud.

editing to add the first site I stumbled upon looks decent-
https://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html
Several comments- I use pencils stuck in my tray as a sort of fence post around which I wrap cellophane to help retain humidity around my cuttings. It's cheap and most houses have pencils and Reynolds Wrap. Although I use seed mats with temperature controls to keep the medium temps at around 72°, you can do this using a heating pad set to low that doesn't have an automatic shut off. You can get a reading on your medium temps by purchasing a floating thermometer for all of $1 from a pet shop. Simply stick the tip into your medium and you'll be able to get a workable reading. Temps too hot, add a dish towel under the tray. Temps too low, turn it up to medium. Light can be a little more tricky. You'll want adequate light and you may have to provide supplemental light if you don't have an area that receives enough.

Another nice site I found for you-
https://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/prop2.htm

Decent explanation on air layering here-
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG108

[neutralguard]

Which rooting hormone do you have?
What did you try to root them in?
Where did you place your cuttings while you were attempting to root them?

I used Green Light rooting hormone.

I attempted to root the redbud into regular potting soil, which may have been a mistake. Maybe I should have used something more porous or loose. As I did it, though, I placed the branch into a hole I created with a pencil so that it wouldn't be too constricting and possibly strip the hormone off. Once potted, I placed a plastic grocery bag around it all in a weak attempt to control the humidity inside, but I didn't monitor it too much. I made sure to water it once or twice a day.

All that being said, I live in Texas, and the days were in the excess of 90 degrees (if not 100) every day, and I placed it outside with my other plants. So it probably had far too much light and heat.

Thank you for the advice. Air layering looks easy enough; I just need to find a way to make it viable. The sites provided also had clearer explanations than the information I had come across.

[TheLorax]

I've rooted cuttings in plain old sand that I cooked in a microwave for a bit. I use distilled water for rooting cuttings. You might want to consider a non-soil medium next time. I think you're on the right track there.

The paper bag I need help understanding. What exactly were you trying to do with it?

I forget to monitor things myself. I'm sure we all do. I doubt that's what did in your cuttings. I also don't think your air temps did them in either but you could have cooked them in the sun if they were allowed to dry out. Generally I place cuttings on an eastern window sill I have in my kitchen. Seems like just the right amount of light for most cuttings.

I'm not familiar with Green Light Rooting hormone. I really hate to ask you this because those labels are so hard to read with all that small print but can you post what it says? Some products are best for trees, some are best for conifers, while some are best for perennials. There are a lot of darn rooting hormones out there and there is the chance you got your hands on the wrong one.

Air layering is easy. Don't get overwhelmed by the process. Just go out and do it. What's the worst thing that can happen? You don't get a clone?

Here's a site you can get lost at-
https://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/static/home
If you don't come out of that site for a very long time because you are reading everything you can get your hands on, please don't be mad at me. I definitely remember the first time I found that site. Got lost for a few days.
When you are there, look for a publication titled "Air Layering with Polythene Film". I kid you not, they're using duct tape and successfully too I might add.

[NEWisc]

TheLorax has already provided some excellent info on the Redbud. One alternative I would add is that Redbud is quite easy to reproduce from seed. It may be a workable alternative if the other techniques don't prove successful.

With regards to "this gnarled, ugly (non-flowering) tree that I really like" , knowing the identification of this tree would be very helpful in determining which type of cutting would be most likely to succeed. You might try taking a small piece of limb (so they could get a good look at the buds) and a picture of the whole tree and a closeup of the bark to your local University Cooperative Extension Office. Nearly every county in the U.S. has one. If they can't identify it for you, they will know where to send the information to get an ID.

[neutralguard]

The paper bag I need help understanding. What exactly were you trying to do with it?

It was a plastic sack, and I was using it to try to make it more humid around the cutting rather than leaving it exposed to our dry air. Is this not correct?

I'm not familiar with Green Light Rooting hormone. I really hate to ask you this because those labels are so hard to read with all that small print but can you post what it says? Some products are best for trees, some are best for conifers, while some are best for perennials. There are a lot of darn rooting hormones out there and there is the chance you got your hands on the wrong one.

We just moved, so everything is in a different box. I believe I know where the hormone is, though, so I'll try to fish it out a little later on this week.

Air layering is easy. Don't get overwhelmed by the process. Just go out and do it. What's the worst thing that can happen? You don't get a clone?

The worry is that one of the trees is public, and one of the trees is private. The redbud is on a private university, but I've been given permission to take a cutting. I don't know how un-touched it would go for the air-layering process, but I'll try to figure something out.

As for the tree-of-undisclosed-type, it's on the side of the freeway, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to trek up to it. There doesn't seem to be access from anywhere, but it's obvious someone goes there often. It's always decorated with ribbons, ornaments, and such, and they always change.

knowing the identification of this tree would be very helpful in determining which type of cutting would be most likely to succeed. You might try taking a small piece of limb (so they could get a good look at the buds) and a picture of the whole tree and a closeup of the bark to your local University Cooperative Extension Office. Nearly every county in the U.S. has one. If they can't identify it for you, they will know where to send the information to get an ID.

I'll try and ascertain which type it is pretty soon.

edit: The only time I see this tree is when I'm driving by at 70 MPH. Hopefully, I can get out there this weekend at some point.

[TheLorax]

Now I understand about the bag. What ever works. I've been using plastic wrap wrapped around pencils stuck in the pots. I'm sure there are many ways that work to keep the humidity up. Depends on what's at our fingertips at the time. My guess is a plastic sack is as good as plastic wrap. Paper bag I really didn't understand though but in looking down to your first post I see you typed plastic bag not paper bag. Oops, sorry.

If you can dig out the rooting hormone great, if not I wouldn't worry. I have this little voice that's telling me you got your hands on a hormone for herbaceous perennials but I can't tell unless you can list off for me what's on the label.

Redbud is easiest from seed as said by NEWisc. Have you any type of a native plant nursery or maybe a Texas Native Plant Society chapter anywhere close to you that might have the seed? I've grown Cercis canadensis from seed and could share with you what I did to get it to germinate if you could get your hands on seed.

I happen to like "gnarled, ugly (non-flowering)" trees. Here's what I'd probably do- I'd take a friend with me, a camera, and a roll of toilet paper and pull over onto the disable lane of that 70 mph zone. That way if Officer Friendly stops to ask any questions, your friend can claim you had to pee. Now run off and go take a bunch of good photos to include twigs, leaf buds, bark, plus an overall photo of the tree and let's everyone give it a shot at identifying what you've found. Once we all figure out what it is, maybe one of us has the tree and can start a cutting for you so you don't have to track down who owns the property to get cuttings. And no, I wouldn't try air layering on anyone's tree unless I had permission either but that wouldn't stop me from trying to figure out what they had so I could determine if I wanted one for myself or not.

[imagardener2]

I like to cut the bottom off of 3-liter soda bottles and use them over containers as a makeshift greenhouse. They work great to keep the humidity up and the light coming in.

The ones below are being used to sprout seeds, but they work equally as well for cuttings.

[url=https://www.pictarget.com/image18977.html][img]https://www.pictarget.com/image18977.jpg[/img][/url]

[TheLorax]

They're like free cloches when used this way. I'm told this can create a microclimate that adds a zone to one's USDA hardiness.