hardwood cuttings

[krittas]

Just wondering i took some hardwood cuttings of some pyracantha (spelling) a few weeks ago and as i have never done this before was told this was a fairly easy plant to try....
My question is how long does it take for substantial roots to be grown....
i thought a year at least but was speaking to someone today who said it may take as little as a few weeks/months depending on the time of the year,plant etc...
As im no expert and have never done this before i was just wondering what time frame you guys have had success with....
and have i taken these cuttings at the right time...

[stymie]

Hello Krittas.
I'm on the other side of the world but though warmer, your August would be my February. This is a little early to take cuttings from my experience. I would be taking softwood cuttings in around five to six weeks from now and hardwood in Your March. These are optimum times for us but a limited success is always possible at other times. The secret isto take more than you need to allow for failures. When trimming material for styling purposes, I am always reluctant to waste the cut off portions and have planted these in a sandy compost at all times with reasonable success. Good luck with your endeavours and try misting the foliage of your cuttings to cut down on moisture loss by evaporation.

[ozzy]

Stymie have you had much success with large Hawthorn cuttings, just the hardwood without foliage?

[stymie]

I did extend a hawthorne hedge by using the offcuts when trimming. These were pushed into the soil where I wanted the extension with no preparation apart from removing any low down foliage which would have been buried. Some were up to ¼". I see no reason why thicker ones shouldn't take. My natural soil is heavy with some clay content and slightly acidic. My Crataegus are never without foliage.

[Naym]

Just wondering i took some hardwood cuttings of some pyracantha (spelling) a few weeks ago and as i have never done this before was told this was a fairly easy plant to try....
My question is how long does it take for substantial roots to be grown....
i thought a year at least but was speaking to someone today who said it may take as little as a few weeks/months depending on the time of the year,plant etc...
As im no expert and have never done this before i was just wondering what time frame you guys have had success with....
and have i taken these cuttings at the right time...

Krittas,

My experience with hardwood cutting from evergreens is that it takes 6 months to a year for them to start getting strong. Although by this stage they may not have strong canopy growth, you can usually see new growth or buds forming. I tend to repot after about a 12-18 months, but this is mainly because I strike cuttings in a sandy soil and they begin to suffer if you leave them too long after they have their own roots. Also if they are for bonsai I don't want them developing strong tap roots in the deep pot.

You have taken the cuttings about the same time that I would (other may disagree). You may find that many of the leaves die if you have not stripped enough of them off, but persist for a while. I have certainly had cuttings that I had assumed failed, only to have them start to bud a few weeks later.

Hope this helps.
Naym