Great job on the pictures and instruction. Thank-You. I even liked the cat :)

Thank you taitai-Daisy the cat likes to get in on everything.

I do wish there was an edit feature on this forum though. :)

I meant to also say that I used a #2 rooting hormone and that the ideal diameter of the cutting is about pencil thick, give or take a bit.

Great instructions! Thanks!

So, I guess if there are no viable leaves as on your's, it wouldn't work? My leaves are all gone due to a lot of freezes (ice) this year.

If I do this in the growing season, when would be a good time?

Thanks for the post wyndyacre! Nice pics, I didn't get out to my BB yet, but it is warming up a bit so maybe the snow that is blocking the way to it will not be so deep tomorrow.
gg

Thanks for posting this. I checked mine a couple of days ago and the Nanho Blue is still green. My Black Knight will have to wait for next summer for cuttings, leaves all dried up now.

Thanks for the tutorial. I have a hard time with Butterfly Bush, I think it just does not like our heat and humidity.

The info about the process is great.

Janie

Wow; thanks for this. I'm thinking my bb's are gone, but will check tomorrow to be sure. Just to repeat the pp's question, it WILL NOT work if all the leaves are gone, right?
Thanks again!

Very nice post...I was just thinking about going out to
take cuttings for a friend. Will they root in water?? I'm
giving it a try.
Thanks!

It is not imperative that your BB have leaves on it still-only that the branches are still alive. You can check this by scratching the surface of the branch to see if they are green underneath.

Given some warmth and water, you'll be surprised at how fast the branches begin to leaf up, even before any roots form on the cuttings.

If you find the tips of your branches are dead, try cutting down farther, closer to the base of the plant. They may still be live down there.

Of course, if there are still some viable leaves left on your plant, then you'll know for sure the branches are still alive.

Thanks for the info Wyndacre. I just might take cuttings from a Purple Prince on the weekend to curb my gardening appetite at this time of year. :O)

thanks sooo much!! i'm sooo terrible at cuttings!! i never get them to root! they always die. but i always do the soda bottle and soil thing and leave the cap off. maybe that's why. i'll have to try another mixture. i'm trying cameilia's now and they are not rooting. errrrr!!! :'))

Just over two weeks later, I have some roots on my BB cuttings. Not enough to pull them out and pot on yet, but they have begun. I'll probably wait another couple of weeks to pot them up into 3" pots.

You're a natural ;)

I recommend this book to one and all:

Dirr, Michael A and Heuser, Charles, Jr. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue CultureÂ; (Second Edition 2006); Varsity Press, Inc. ISBN: 0942375092 or ISBN: 13: 978-0-942375-09-1

Add it to your birthday or Christmas list.

Some things are too simple!

Dax

Wow, thank you for posting this! Very educational!

I might add that this method of propagation can be used for many other shrubs as well, at this time of year.

This is called using "hardwood" cuttings method or because it is done during the winter also called "dormant" cuttings. Because the BB used in the example was stored in a protected spot, it wasn't exactly dormant but I started other BB cuttings at the same time from dormant plants in my garden.

The cuttings require no leaves, in fact most won't have any because of the time of year. But the cutting will usually begin to grow leaves and even flowers (like forsythia) before the cutting actually grows roots. The cuttings are taken from the last years growth of the shrub, about pencil thick.

Some of the easier shrubs to propagate using this method are forsythia, willows, dogwoods, spireas, blue mist, BB's etc.

There are other methods of propagation, used at other times of the year as well. Softwood or greenwood cuttings are used in spring or early summer using new growth from the tips of the shrub or growth that is just past new, that easily snaps off. In this case the cutting already has leaves but you just strip off the leaves at the bottom of the cutting which you dip in rooting hormone. The rest of the leaves remain although if they are large, you can cut them in half to reduce the amount of transpiration. You want some leaves left to provide photosynthesis.

There seems to be a little confusion as to what method of propagation to use at which time of year and how it is done. It would be really helpful to get a couple books on propagation to research and understand the different methods and why they are used.

Hope this information helps a little.

Windyacre,
Thank you for your time posting all the info on cuttings. I have been researching BB and the process of turning one into a standard form. I saw this davidii variety in the botanical garden in MO. The only concern expressed to me was typically in zone 5 they die back to the ground so maintence would be an issue. BUT, since I've seen many of mine leafing out on branches not pruned back early, what would keep that stem from leafing out at the tip? The stem that has been prunned and trained? Just wondered if you or anyone on this forum has tried this technique. Guess it's worth the experiment. Thanks, Pam

Wyndyacre,
I want to "Thank You" for your indepth explaining of this propagation technique. It has been so helpful to me! can not wait to try it!

Thanks again,
Tonya

I don't bother with putting my BBs in a propogation chamber anymore. I just put them in a pot in the shade with some simple potting soil and take all the leaves off. I pinched the tops out of one I propogated from last year and put the tops with no leaves in a pot about a month ago and forgot about it. I have 3 plants now that are doing awesome. When I trimmed my confederate rose back this spring, I did the same thing, I cut the branches in about 8-10 inch sections and stuck them in a pot. I noticed new growth this week. It's fun, I love free plants.

I've tried to root some rose cuttings but they just die, is there a certain way to cut them or what. My technique was to just cut some 6" pieces dip in some hormone and stick into a pot of plain topsoil.

awesome post. i have been wondering for some time if doing this sort of thing were possible with a BB. now that i have read this im going to try this method on many other plants. keep up the great work

wyndyacre, this is a great thread. You are having very good luck with your BB cuttings, they look great.

Can the same techniques you are using here also be used to grow other woody plants like maple trees and junipers? Anything I would need to change?

I have read that many maples can root fairly quickly but most conifers take a very long time to grow roots.

Thanks

Is there an ideal time to propagate a BB? I have one BB that's been doing well and would love to start a few new ones. Now that tomorrow's August 1st, do I have time to start a new BB and plant it?

If not, when should I propagate the BB? I see the original post started in mid-winter. Will a BB last all winter in my 70 degree basement?

Thanks for the assistance.

Jamie, I would be doubtful about success from a cutting started this late in your zone. But, what's to lose by trying? This is usually done in the spring, when new growth appears. (This is also the best time to trim/shape - NOT in the fall.) I don't usually use stems as thick as those pictured in the above instructions, and never bother with pots anymore. Just stick them in the yard where you want new BB's. (If they dry out, they will not make it.) This past week I did put some new cuttings in the yard from a branch that had to be removed. If they don't make it, well, I was trimming that branch anyway... nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Just wanted to report back that some of the cuttings I mentioned on Aug. 1 have rooted, grown new leaves, and even a few small flowers. If it had not been so dry, I think my success rate would have been much higher. Other plants prioritized my watering time, and it was just really hot, too.