lilac cuts for a fence/wall.

[hooligan]

So I live in a small town in north central Montana. I live on a cornern lot with 4 houses to a block. I would like to fence or wall my rather large yard with lilacs. I currently have no fencing of any kind, I have children walking through my yard, random dogs leaving their waste all over my yard. I would eventually like to turn half of this yard into a vegitable garden and Japanese style garden. The other half will be used as a play ground for my dogs. I want privacy with out the statement of putting up a wood plank fence.
Since I currently have lilacs growing in my yard I thought why not take some cuts put them under lights until they root. Depending on when I take them and how long it takes them to root. Once established they will be transplanted into their perminate home's. Last hard frost here is usually early May.
Questions are :
Best time to take cuts
Length of root time
Best lighting suggestions (long days, short days, full sun , partial sun, temps)
Thank you for your assistance.

[gardeningwithe]

I'm sorry that I can't help with the information, but I did want to say that it sounds like a lovely idea and wish you the best of luck! Also, please post pictures of it in the future!

[tomc]

Clip off flower buds. Dip twigs in rooting hormone and set 10-12 in each one gallon pot with added sand to garden soil. Set pot out of direct sun, water every day it don't rain. expect it will take most of the summer to strike roots. Plant in fall.

[hendi_alex]

I've found lilac cuttings to do particularly well in the early to mid spring. I use the rooting hormone, place in easily draining soil or sand, and set in an area that only gets diffused light. Mine are place under a lattice potting bench. Keep the cuttings constantly moist but not soggy. They should root withing a few weeks.

If drying is a problem, you may want to place the potted cuttings in a container with a clear lid or with clear film over the top. That will keep high humidity with just occasional watering.

[hooligan]

Should there be leaves on the cuts. I took 4 cuts yesterday as a trial. They are still in a winter dormancy phase so I am wondering if it is too early. with all other plants I have cloned they needed leaf sets to absorbe light and transpire. I will take more cuts as soon as leaf sets start to show.
Also I guess I didn't explain well enough. This is not the first time I have cloned a plant. I am well versed in the process of taking cuts and getting them to root, I have never worked with lilacs though.
Also one reply says good to go in a couple weeks and another one says it will take all summer to root. Which is it? I suppose it would depend on your definition of "root". My definition ( as I am going to grow under lights until I can transplant them to their final home) of rooted would be having sufficiant enough root ball to support itself, where we can see winds in excess of 70mph.

[tomc]

Should there be leaves on the cuts. I took 4 cuts yesterday as a trial. They are still in a winter dormancy phase so I am wondering if it is too early.

The term for last years twigs are 'semi-hardwood' cuttings. I want you to take them still alseep. I would clip off the flower bud tho. I would rub off side buds and leave the last pair of buds on Those terminal buds will erupt. (Essentially two leaves per twig)

with all other plants I have cloned they needed leaf sets to absorb light and transpire. I will take more cuts as soon as leaf sets start to show.
Also I guess I didn't explain well enough. This is not the first time I have cloned a plant. I am well versed in the process of taking cuts and getting them to root, I have never worked with lilacs though.
Also one reply says good to go in a couple weeks and another one says it will take all summer to root. Which is it? I suppose it would depend on your definition of "root". My definition ( as I am going to grow under lights until I can transplant them to their final home) of rooted would be having sufficiant enough root ball to support itself, where we can see winds in excess of 70mph.

Yes, Hendi did, He lives in like Virginia, you live in Montana. I live in Ohio I expect mine will be ready to repot in August...

Now if we al had a whole set of propagating-bottom warmed beds (like it was Virginia) ours would be ready sooner too

Which reminds me I gotta take some lilac cuttings this spring, my eldest wants some.

[hooligan]

So they are basically like any semi hardwood cut. With proper propagation techniques and creating as close to ideal enviroment as possible the better off everything will end up.
I have heated propagation tables available. Maybe I will throw some cuts on those under indirrect lighting hid lighting. See what happens. Any other suggestions or ideas are appreciated as alway.

[hendi_alex]

My cuttings are always started in community pots. So when saying that they should develop roots within a few weeks, I mean that each rooted plant is now ready to move to its own one gallon nursery pot. My cuttings stay in a gallon nursery pot for a season, then usually are move to a 3 gallon nursery pot for a season or two, before going into the ground. I would never consider planting less than two year old cuttings into the ground.

[hooligan]

Really waiting two years before going into ground? WOW. Maybe that's why everyone around here says they are so hard to grow. They just don't wait long enough for the plants to establish themselves. I have no experience with them other then I have grown up around them as a wind break my entire life. Should be interesting.
Update. The cuts I took seem to be doing well. I trimmed back the lilacs in my yard This weekend and will be taking 20-30 more cuts from some particularly nice looking new emerging branches that will be encroaching a side walk so they will be getting cut off anyways. Weather is finally warming here, Looking forward to a wet spring.