The only difference between a softwood cutting and a hardwood
cutting is the time of year you take the cutting. Both are of the
current seasons growth. It is always recommended that the cuttings you
use are of the current years growth. If you go too deep into a plant to
take your cuttings, you are likely to get into wood that is more than
one year old. Using this older wood is almost certain to hamper your
results.
Propagation of softwood cuttings is usually done at the end of May or
the beginning of June depending on the climate you are in. Trying to do
softwood cuttings prior to that is a waste of time because the wood is
too soft and will wilt down very quickly. The ideal time to take
softwood cuttings is just as the wood begins to harden off.
Here in northeastern Ohio, June 1st is usually our target date.
Plants in this area are usually a little behind the plants in southern
Ohio. We are sitting right on the southern shore of Lake Erie. When that
huge body of water freezes over for the winter, it is slow to thaw and
warm up. Therefore, the temperature here stays a little cooler in the
spring. Of course it works just the opposite in the fall and the lake is
usually responsible for sparing us from the first few frosts.
Softwood cuttings of many deciduous plants root very quickly and
easily under the right conditions. Controlling the conditions is
critical. Softwood cuttings are very delicate and can dehydrate very
easily, especially under the summer sun. However, with the warm
temperatures of June, and the tenderness of softwood cuttings, root
development will occur very quickly, if you can keep the cuttings from
dehydrating.
The absolute best way to root softwood cuttings is by sticking them
in a bed of very course sand and watering them very lightly for just a
few seconds, every five or ten minutes, for a period of two to six
weeks. Of course this is impossible, unless you have an automatic
watering system known as an intermittent mist system.
I go into much greater detail about intermittent mist propagation in
my book, Free Landscape Plants! I am bringing it up here so you will
know exactly what intermittent mist does, and how it works. Knowing what
it does gives you an idea of what conditions you must try and create in
order to achieve success with softwood cuttings at home, without
expensive equipment. You can build your own intermittent mist system
with the help of my video "How to Build Your Own Intermittent Mist
System" Click here for details.
Preparing a softwood cutting is easy. Just clip a cutting about 4" in
length from the parent plant. Take only tip cuttings. In other words,
just take one cutting from each branch, the top four inches of each
branch. This is the newest growth. Strip the leaves off the lower two
thirds of the cutting, leaving just a stem and a few leaves at the top.
When propagating softwood cuttings, wounding the cutting slightly can
help the rooting process. You can wound the cutting by scraping the side
of the stem lightly from the bottom of the cutting up 1/2".
It is always beneficial to treat your cuttings with a liquid or a
powder rooting compound just prior to sticking them. Rooting compounds
are available at most garden centers and do help to stimulate root
development. It really doesn't matter whether you use a liquid or a
powder. There are different strengths available in the powder formulas.
Hardwood cuttings require a stronger formula than softwood cuttings.
Most liquid rooting compounds are sold in concentrate form and must
be diluted with water. I like the liquid because all you have to do is
adjust the amount of water you add depending on whether you are
propagating softwood or hardwood cuttings. There are instructions on the
package.
The best growing medium for softwood cuttings is a very coarse grade
of sand. You do not want to stick the cuttings in soil. The sand you use
must be course. When you water the sand, the water should run right
through. The sand should have very little moisture retention ability.
The stems of softwood cuttings rot very easily.
Preparing an area to stick your cuttings is quite simple. For
softwood cuttings all you need is a wooden or plastic flat, or a small
raised bed. I recommend using flats for softwood cuttings, so you can
start them in the shade and move them into the sun after a period of
7-10 days.
The flats should be 3-4" deep. Fill them to the top with course sand.
Make your cuttings as described earlier, dip them in a rooting compound,
and stick them in the flat. It helps to make a hole or a slice in the
sand first, so the cutting will slide in easier. Softwood cuttings are
not very rigid. They will break if you try and force them into the sand.
Using a putty knife or a masonry trowel you can slice an opening through
the sand, or use a large screw driver to make a hole in the sand. Space
your cuttings about 1" apart in the flat. Firm the sand around the
cuttings as you stick them, you do not want air pockets around the
stems. You can also water thoroughly the first time to make sure all of
the voids are filled.
It is said that the ideal time to take softwood cuttings is early in
the morning. However, that is not always convenient for me, so I have
taken them at all hours of the day. I have never been able to determine
whether or not morning, noon, or night yielded the best results.
Softwood cuttings wilt very quickly. Take just a few cuttings at a
time and get them stuck in the sand and watered as quickly as possible.
When you first take the cuttings, keep them in the shade for a period of
7-10 days. This gives them a chance to harden off before you put them in
the sun. Plants need at least partial sun in order to develop roots.
Water them lightly, as often as you can, especially the first few
days. Proper watering is critical. The ideal situation is to apply a
very light spray of water for just a few seconds, allow that water to
evaporate off almost completely, and then water again. Of course this is
next to impossible without automatic equipment, but if you can at least
water lightly every couple of hours the first day or so, you should
realize some degree of success.
One of the readers of my propagation book, Free Landscape Plants!,
called and told me he found a neat way to create a moist environment for
his softwood cuttings. He said he goes to flea markets and buys old fish
aquariums for a buck or two, takes them home and places strips of
masking tape over the bottom and sides, leaving one inch of space
between each strip. Then he paints the aquarium with white latex paint.
Once the paint dries he peels off the masking tape. The white areas
reflect the suns rays, and the clear areas allows some sun into the
miniature greenhouse. He then places the aquarium upside down over his
flats of softwood cuttings. This keeps his cuttings moist and happy.
Innovative, wouldn't you say?
If your first batch of softwood cuttings do poorly, try a new batch
as soon as you realize your first batch is failing. Just a few days can
make a remarkable difference in the texture of the wood as the new
growth matures. Cuttings that wilt down almost immediately one day might
do 100% better two days later. As the new growth matures, the wood
hardens off, and the cuttings become more durable. Of course the harder
wood takes a little longer to establish roots.
Softwood cuttings are delicate and somewhat difficult, but if you can
keep them from wilting they will root very quickly. Propagating with
hardwood cuttings are much easier, but it takes considerably longer to
establish roots on hardwood cuttings. Also, there are some plants that
are difficult to root using the hardwood method.
If you are an avid gardener, you might consider setting up an
intermittent mist system in your backyard. The amount of space required
is very small, but there is an investment in the equipment. Maybe a
friend or neighbor is also an avid gardener and would like to go
together with you to share the cost of an intermittent mist system.
Intermittent mist makes rooting softwood cuttings like child's play. As
a matter of fact, when my youngest son was in the first grade, he took
softwood cuttings, stripped the cuttings, dipped them in the rooting
compound, and stuck them in the sand. That’s all there is to it, the
intermittent mist system does the rest. |