Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[aoxa]

Oh and they have miniature willows that are quite beautiful. They droop over and many are flowering.


This is the type of tree I was speaking of when I was talking cuttings. It would take forever to get a really nice weeping willow from a cutting (large) but when my nephew was born he received a flower arrangement with a parking willow It is now as large as the tree in the picture and he is 5 years old.

They got it because of the name. His name is Parker.. Parking Willow. He's special

 

[MumsyII]

Yes please

I have some hydrangea cuttings. I have them in water presently as that is the only way I know. Must the cuttings have a few roots or a really strong root system before planting? Can I put anything into the water to help the plant produce some roots?

All good questions. This is something I have a lot of experience with. It is how I ran my nursery business. It is how I filled my garden the first seven years we lived here. Let me just say this first off. Getting your first egg from a prized pullet is that same kind of joy I feel when I root a prized plant. You wait and wait and nurture and nurture and then.....Ta Daa!!! A new plant!

I will start off with the way most people have tried at least once. Place the cutting in a jar of water on a window sill and let it root on its own in the water. This works for lots of herbs. Trees and shrubs in the Salix family. That would include Willows and Poplar trees. Willow and Poplar branches Will also root on their own just stuck into the soil with no fan fare at all. So will many Rose varieties.

Last year my daughters finally convinced me to start taking rose cuttings again. I have not bothered for a long time because I don't have any more room for these big shrubs and they didn't have any where to plant them either. But I'm getting old and so is the garden so it's time to get some youngsters going again.


Tools of my trade. Nothing fancy. Good sharp cutter. Scissors work. Sturdy gloves. A bunch of second hand containers. Anything that drains water will do. Something to tote your containers and cuttings around in will save you extra steps.

I use builders sand. It's already coarse and dirty. Play box sand or fine silica sand can wash out the bottom holes of the containers the first time you water. Beach sand is no good because of salt content. Sand swept up from the road or in curbs after roads have been sanded in the winter is no good because of the de-icing chemicals and other pollutants that can be in it. Good old builders sand is cheap. Easy to come by. If you have access to a pile some where. Get some five gallon buckets of it and keep it under cover. I use builders sand in my Silkie show conditioning pens. I use it for many purposes.

You can use sterile potting soil that has perlite or vermiculite added too. I use this more costly stuff for starting expensive seeds.

You can use hormone powder for dipping the cut end in before sticking. I have used three grades. Weak medium and strong. They have fancy names I can't remember. I used them a lot when I was in the business. For rooting things like Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Camellias these hormones are handy. But...They are hormones. Handle with care. Don't breath the dust. Don't rub your eyes. Wash well after using. They are not necessary for many useful plants that root easily.


Experiment with just sticking cuttings in soil in your garden. This is an unused bed with only three inches of soil in it. There are four rose cuttings here. The green growing one has a flower bud at it's top. I rooted it here in Spring. The three in front I just stuck about three weeks ago have a bamboo stick holding the milk jugs in place. The bottoms have been cut away. The jug keeps extra humidity around the cutting. Remember to water regularly through the summer. It takes most roses eight to twelve weeks to root. Don't wiggle the stem to test. Don't touch them. After a few months, gently scoop them up and pot them on.

The first cutting is still alive and I think the second one is too. Don't worry if the leaves turn brown and fall off. If the stem is still green all the way into the soil, it is still alive. The third one is turning brown all the way to the soil. I don't think it will root. The one in the back is over three months old. It lost all it's leaves while rooting. It is now a plant that needs to be potted this Fall. I keep first year cuttings in my unheated greenhouse over the winter.


This is a one year old rose cutting that is outgrowing its pot and has bloomed. I need to either get it in the ground or pot it on. (larger container)

If you can get a rose cutting to root, you can root many other shrubs as well.

# 1 lesson Take multiple cuttings of the plant you want to reproduce. If you take twelve cuttings, you may get four to root. Or more.

# 2 lesson: Take your cuttings as early in the morning as possible. The plant will be fully hydrated with water.

# 3 lesson: Have your work station set up in the area you plan to take cuttings. Take a handful of cuttings directly to your bench and use a stick or pencil to poke a hole in pre wettened sand in the pots. When your cuttings are stuck. Gently water.

# 4 lesson: Place your stuck cuttings in a cold frame on the North side of your buildings. A greenhouse under a bench in the shade. Put a cover over them if they remain outdoors.

# 5 lesson: Be patient. It takes time for the end of the cutting to form callouses and then put out roots. Pick the pot up around eight weeks and see if roots are coming from the holes in the bottom of the pot. If they are...You are successful! Time to pot your plant on into a bigger pot.

 

[aoxa]

Mumsy,
So going to clip some of my mother's roses and root them per your advice!

I'll have to take some photos of them so you can tell me what kind of roses they are. She wouldn't remember

 

[echosrevenge]

Ah! Now I wish I'd gone in to work with my husband today and taken the car...there are several businesses and parks near his work with lovely shrubs I'd love to have cuttings of...

My dad tells stories about his moms garden, she used to keep a little jar of willow water (I think a sort of tea from soaking willow bark?) in her purse and clip cuttings EVERYWHERE she went. She'd see something she liked, whip out her sewing scissors, willow water, and hanky...soak the hanky in willow water, wrap up the cuttings, and poke them into her bag. Didn't matter where, public library or someone front yard or the Buchart Gardens, she would just clip a couple sprigs and go on about her day. She passed away long before I was born, I wish I could have known her and seen her garden!

 

[MumsyII]

@aoxa: doooo itttt!!! I will help you identify the rose if I can. Take pictures of the bloom, the leaves, the whole plant if you can. Even get a shot of the thorns. All these things will help identify it.

Oh! This reminds me of adding another lesson to cuttings 101! The best stem is one with a bloom, a bud, or a spent bloom. Take the cutting on the third or fourth knuckle of the stem. I must take a picture of this to show what I mean. Snip off the bloom or bud. Cuttings that are too soft or new don't root well. Stems that are too old and woody don't either.

@echosrevenge: I loved your story and I also cringed. I used to do the same thing but was far more stealthy. I used to go everywhere with a water bottle or thermos. Snip the cutting and stick it into the thermos. I tried not to be obvious about it. You can get caught and kicked out of botanical gardens for doing that these days.
I caught a bunch of ladies taking cuttings from my own garden when I was in business. I thought what nerve. I considered it stealing then if they didn't ask first. Well when you think about it, I needed those cuttings to produce plants for sale. Why they thought they could help themselves kind of baffled me.

I have no problems taking cuttings from old abandoned cemeteries. Large public parks or large zoos. I wouldn't have the guts to take cuttings from someones private collection unless they offered. Many did back in the day. Some of my best plants came from people that invited me into their private collections and said, "Have at it!"
Your Grandmother reminds me of my Grandmother. You have wonderful stories from your dad. My Grandmother passed when I was thirty two. It still wasn't enough time to know her.

This seems like a good place to share an old picture of my Grandparents home. My dad grew up here from the age of five. My Grandfather built this log house. They ran a nursery in the front area until the late 1960's. I spent many a happy day playing here and following my Grandmother and Grandfather through the gardens. Three acres of glorious gardens.

Photo taken in the 1980's. My Grandparents home.

 

[Alibabe]

@aoxa: doooo itttt!!! I will help you identify the rose if I can. Take pictures of the bloom, the leaves, the whole plant if you can. Even get a shot of the thorns. All these things will help identify it.

Oh! This reminds me of adding another lesson to cuttings 101! The best stem is one with a bloom, a bud, or a spent bloom. Take the cutting on the third or fourth knuckle of the stem. I must take a picture of this to show what I mean. Snip off the bloom or bud. Cuttings that are too soft or new don't root well. Stems that are too old and woody don't either.

@echosrevenge: I loved your story and I also cringed. I used to do the same thing but was far more stealthy. I used to go everywhere with a water bottle or thermos. Snip the cutting and stick it into the thermos. I tried not to be obvious about it. You can get caught and kicked out of botanical gardens for doing that these days.
I caught a bunch of ladies taking cuttings from my own garden when I was in business. I thought what nerve. I considered it stealing then if they didn't ask first. Well when you think about it, I needed those cuttings to produce plants for sale. Why they thought they could help themselves kind of baffled me.

I have no problems taking cuttings from old abandoned cemeteries. Large public parks or large zoos. I wouldn't have the guts to take cuttings from someones private collection unless they offered. Many did back in the day. Some of my best plants came from people that invited me into their private collections and said, "Have at it!"
Your Grandmother reminds me of my Grandmother. You have wonderful stories from your dad. My Grandmother passed when I was thirty two. It still wasn't enough time to know her.

This seems like a good place to share an old picture of my Grandparents home. My dad grew up here from the age of five. My Grandfather built this log house. They ran a nursery in the front area until the late 1960's. I spent many a happy day playing here and following my Grandmother and Grandfather through the gardens. Three acres of glorious gardens.

Photo taken in the 1980's. My Grandparents home.

Could you explain more about where to take the cutting from? I cut my hydrangeas where they branched out from another branch - not sure if that was right. I took 4 cuttings but only 2 had blooms. I only cut the ones with blooms because my GD wanted pink and purple flowers.

Forgot to ask.... although the hydrangeas grow in my neighbours patch, (landlord with professional gardeners on tap) do they do ok in clay soil?

Your grandparents home is out of a fairy tale, you were truly blessed to grow up with that type of knowledge and life around you. I love modern technology but I also yearn for the more simpler life.

 

[MumsyII]

Could you explain more about where to take the cutting from? I cut my hydrangeas where they branched out from another branch - not sure if that was right. I took 4 cuttings but only 2 had blooms. I only cut the ones with blooms because my GD wanted pink and purple flowers.

Forgot to ask.... although the hydrangeas grow in my neighbours patch, (landlord with professional gardeners on tap) do they do ok in clay soil?

Your grandparents home is out of a fairy tale, you were truly blessed to grow up with that type of knowledge and life around you. I love modern technology but I also yearn for the more simpler life.

Yes. This is where 'show me' becomes better than 'tell me' when taking simple cuttings. Rose cuttings are the same as hydrangeas, forsythia, Mock Orange, some honeysuckles, Snow ball bush, Butterfly Bush, and many others. Lilacs are done differently as are evergreen trees and such. They are more difficult but doable if you have a greenhouse.

In four easy steps:


Take a cutting with at least four to eight inches of stem. Knuckles are leaf joints. The place where you cut the stem as where it is growing from a larger stem. There are more rooting hormones in that joint. That is where the cutting will callous and roots will eventually grow from.


Have your container pre filled and wet. Not sloppy wet and muddy, but very moist. Take a dobber (something to poke a hole) and pre make the hole for the stem. An inch or two deep.


Pinch or cut off the bloom or bud. Put in hole in pot. Water well. Place cutting in pot in shade or dappled shade in an undisturbed place.


I use recycled water, vinegar, or milk jugs. Small pots with small cuttings you can use a glass canning or mayo jar. Something that will breath and let hot air escape is best. This is a micro climate for the cutting. Don't forget to water. If the cutting medium (soil or sand) drys out even one time, the cutting will not root.

 

[Alibabe]

Thanks Mumsy, I will try to follow what you describe. I do agree, pics make it easier to understand what you are describing.

my cuttings take as I love seeing things grow. I have some liquid fertiliser which I will use for in the water to help the cuttings and hope for the best.

 

[MumsyII]

Thanks Mumsy, I will try to follow what you describe. I do agree, pics make it easier to understand what you are describing.

my cuttings take as I love seeing things grow. I have some liquid fertilizer which I will use for in the water to help the cuttings and hope for the best.

The liquid fertilizer will not help the cuttings to root until after they have rooted and are growing in larger pots. All the rooting action takes place with in the cut edge of the cutting. That stem end needs to grow a thickened edge that is kind of white/creamy in color. If you cut a branch off an apple tree it forms a callous ring around the cut. The callous on cuttings looks something like that. This takes the longest time to form. Some plant varieties do this very quickly and easily like the willow family. Some plants never do. Like apple and pear trees. Those plants must be grafted. Some plants like Orchids are propagated by cloning in laboratory settings. I'm not suggesting it will hurt but it might not be necessary. There is no way to hurry the process while waiting for the stem to put out roots unless you use rooting hormone powder of which I mentioned earlier. Willow water is the same thing in a weaker solution. Made by soaking fresh willow branches in tepid water over night. This is the water that helps some plants form roots faster. I don't use these methods any longer because I'm not in a hurry. The plant still needs a year or two of growth before it can go in the ground safely anyway.

Mark your journal when you take your cuttings. Use the liquid fertilizer on some of them and use nothing but plain water on the others. Tell us here which of the cuttings had roots coming out of the pots first. This is a great experiment.

 

[Alibabe]

Thanks Mumsy, will tryto do what you suggest. I must be honest that I am not that keen on using liquid fertiliser as I am very nervous about introducing a chemical to my plants/ground with my chickens. I will take 2 cuttings and put liquid fertiliser with them and leave the others just water and plant them in selective areas when they are ready.

On another topic, today we ate our first ever cauliflower that we grew from seed. It was enormous and tasted yummy. Unfortunately bugs got to the other plants and the cauliflowers are half eaten but at least we had 1

. We gave the leaves of the cauliflower plants to the chickens and the babies (3.5 weeks old) and they shredded the leaves in seconds WOW.

We harvested some carrots and gave the green tops to the girls and they don't want to touch it - I really thought they would love the dark green but no.

We have tomatoes that are growing beautifully but hope the weather stays hot enough for them to ripen. Last year we also grew tomatoes but they never ripened, but we had almost solid rain for months on end and no sun. Last summer - well we did not have one!