Cuttings
There is more to taking cuttings than breaking off a branch and pushing it into the soil, but it is not so involved as to be impossible for the average gardener to provide suitable conditions and do the job at the right time.The home gardener is mainly interested in soft cuttings taken in spring (fuchsias, delphiniums, poinsettias) and half-ripened cuttings taken in midsummer (ornamental shrubs and conifers). A few gardeners may need ripened cuttings in early fall (black currants and laurel).
The type of cutting (soft, half-ripe, ripe) determines the conditions needed for successful rooting.
Soft cuttings are new growths which start in spring and have attained a length of 3 to 4 in/2.5 to 10 cm. Since these growths are composed of immature cells they wilt easily before roots have formed.
To prevent wilting necessitates an enclosure to maintain the required warmth and humidity, yet permit sufficient light to reach the cuttings for food synthesis. Enclosures range from professional propagating cases with thermostatically-controlled heating cables to a clay pot in a plastic bag on the windowsill out of direct sunlight.
December 4, 2008