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hesamaf

arborvitae cutting success rate

hesamaf
9 years ago

Hello everyone
Is it necessary to use rooting hormone for arborvitae cuttings?
How much will the success rate be without using rooting hormone?
What about italian cypress?
Thank you so much

Comments (6)

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    It all depends on your set up, but rooting hormone is not necessary for arborvitae. They root very easy if you keep the humidity high, rooting medium damp, and a little air circulation. I wouldn't dare give any percentages, but it should be pretty good if the above is followed with no breaks in the process. Do not let them dry out!
    I constructed one with bottom heat, and a misting system on a timer.
    With rooting hormone I had almost 100% success with arbs. I have no experience with Italian cypress.
    What is your situation?
    Mike

  • sc77 (6b MA)
    9 years ago

    I dunno. I tried to root Green Giant, Emerald Green, and Hemlock last winter and failed miserably. I followed the rules Mike outlined above, I used a plastic container with a clear top, kept moisture high and even used rooting hormone (dip n' grow). They stayed green and healthy the entire winter, but no roots ever developed! Toward the end I killed a lot of them by constantly pulling them out to check for roots, but at that point it had been several months and there were no signs of roots.

    I will try again this year, but my frustration level was high...

  • hesamaf
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much Mike for the instructions.
    I live in Iran where the winters are hard and summers are warm to relatively hot.
    Is it a good idea to brush the bottom of cuttings with a fungicide (like Mancozeb) to prevent rotting? How much should the diameter of cuttings be?
    Thank you again

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    I used about half the diameter of my small finger and almost twice as long.
    I never used a fungicide and never had a problems along those lines. I guess it was because my cutting bed was outside in the shade on the north side of my house in a semi protected area. It was open except for lath on the top and a wall in back. Cuttings were taken in the Fall and well rooted by Spring. Some people insert the cuttings in the rooting median at a slight angle. They say they get better results that way. I tried both with Arborvitae and found no difference. It might be different with a different type of plant though.
    Mike

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    dont you need two year old wood .... tracing back.. to where the bark is brown ... as compared to all green current year growth ...

    pic below that i used for some arbs.. though not in this pic ... perlite ... gallon milk jug.. gallon baggie ... on a 72 degree heat mat under lights ... with rooting powder ....

    i think my success was about 30 to 40 % ... which was fine for me ...

    second/third pix ... was up potting them to water bottles ... if you cant tell i went recycle cheap ...

    ken

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  • hesamaf
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much guys for the great guides and sharing your experiences with me.
    I have another question also :
    Would arborvitae seedlings be identical varieties to their parent?