January Garden How-To:
Hardwood Cuttings:
Continue to take fully ripe, hardwood cuttings from trees and shrubs to increase your stock or share with friends. This is as easy to do as the soft cuttings most people are more comfortable doing – here’s how:
a) Choose strong side shoots, about as thick as a pencil, from the current year’s growth.
b) Cut with a clean, sharp knife or pruner just below a bud. If the cutting is longer than 1 foot, trim the top as necessary.
c) Remove all but the top leaves in milder areas, all of them in colder areas (if there are any left).
d) Make a narrow, V-shaped trench in a shady, protected spot in the garden, about 6-9 inches deep. Sprinkle an inch of coarse sand in the bottom to help with drainage.
e) Dip the base of each cutting into a rooting hormone powder. Lay them almost vertically on the side of the trench, about 6 inches apart, with the base firmly in the sand. Fill back the trench, almost burying the cuttings. For cold climates, cover with mulch once the ground is completely frozen.
f) Leave them in place until next fall before transplanting to their final location.
Plants to try propagating this way include roses, dogwoods, honeysuckles, philadelphus, poplar, ribes, willow and many others. Try a few different varieties, as some do take easier than others. Good luck!