Taking hardwood cuttings

"Hardwood cuttings, I can say from experience really want to survive and can withstand an awful lot of neglect. They can tolerate anything except drought (and being planted in the ground upside down!)"

When the leaves have fallen from deciduous shrubs, this will be the time to take hardwood cuttings.

Easy plants to try include willow (Salix), buddleia and dogwood (Cornus).

Follow these easy steps to increase your shrub displays (or beg a cutting from friends and neighbours).

A word of caution though about willow, I planted some sticks as markers in my garden one year, they rooted and grew to about six feet...

One year old hardwood cutting ready for transplanting

Cut pencil thick lengths (15-20cm) of woody, new growth. Make the cut above a bud at the top and below a bud at the bottom of the cutting.

Choose a sheltered spot in the garden or in the greenhouse, out of direct sunlight but not in heavy shade.

 Push the cuttings into a slit made in the soil with a spade.

 Fill in with soil, leaving a couple of buds exposed.

 If you have heavy soil, line the slit with sand for drainage.

 Label, you will be surprised how quickly you forget what cuttings you have taken!.

 Water in dry weather.

Leave the cuttings until the following autumn when they will have rooted and be ready to move either into pots or to their planting position.

If you have fish boxes or even large plant pots, fill them with soil and push the cuttings into those.

Do not let them dry out. If you have the cuttings in a greenhouse, keep a close eye on them.

Organic gardening tips....

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