Forgot to ask if the soil I used will work. It is in the pictures.

Kelby232 - It is a very bizarre time to decide to take forsythia cuttings but it roots so easily yours might just work. I'd not remove the leaves unless they rot. Put the jug in a bright cool place, keep it moist but not wet and hope. Remember that in nature this shrub would be dormant now and you might not see any change until the spring. But that doesn't necessarily mean the cuttings are dead.

Normally you would take cuttings in the summer of hard wood, not soft tips, and just push them into the ground outdoors. They root incredibly easily and are not fussy about the medium.

And how come your forsythia still has leaves on it? Were these branches you had brought inside?

Here is a link that might be useful: Forsythia cuttings

This post was edited by floral_uk on Tue, Dec 31, 13 at 17:26

Shoot.

The few websites I read said to take the cuttings in December/January. Well hopefully this will work. I have no idea how those leaves are there.

Are you sure those websites were not referring to bringing Forsythia branches in so as to get them to bloom indoors early as cut flowers? I can't believe anyone would recommend trying to root cuttings in mid winter. Or they were Australian sites ;-)

I guess they could have been. Would make sense I guess now that you mention it.

Well I hope they get some roots for all 9 cuttings. I really want to make barrier between my house and the road and my house and the neighbor. I have bamboo on one side the previous owner planted and they have over-grown into a huge natural/unnatural 15-20 foot high fence.

For now I have the cuttings in the milk jug and in my bathroom that has a skylight. I'm hoping they will stay moist enough in there to create some roots. This is my first time taking cuttings of any plant so I'll just hope for the best and take everyone's advice/direction to get them rooted.

Well good luck with your efforts. Forsythia is one of the easiest of all shrubs to grow from cuttings so yours may well be fine. If they don't work you could try and get some more pieces in the Spring and try them outdoors. In my climate they will grow just by poking a piece in the ground. I have a large Forsythia bush which grew from a stick I used to mark a row of peas.

Kelby232-

I have found that forsythia is very easy to root from cuttings via softwood or hardwood. I have taken hardwood cuttings in January and stuck them in the milk jug like you are doing. Here was the protocol that I followed and had 100% success with 10 cuttings:

First, cut drainage slits in the bottom of the milk jug (in the grooves).

Then cut the jug in half leaving a portion still connected at the handle to form kind of a hinged cap so you will be able to close the jug back.

Add your potting mix (potting soil, seed starter--doesn't matter as long as the mix is friable).

Stick your cuttings into the soil (no need for rooting hormone).

Close your cap and seal with tape (I like to use the wide 2" clear tape). Leave off the top cap (the little plastic cap that the milk jug came with).

Set it outside in a somewhat protected place (along the foundation of the house is fine). Do not worry about keeping them inside the house, watering or any follow up care.

About late February-early March, the buds will begin to swell and the cuttings may bloom. By April, you should have some plants growing. By your last frost date, you should be able to remove the hinged cap on the jug and grow them open until about May before stepping them up to larger pots. Wait until the fall before planting them in their place in the garden or landscape.

As per your pictures, the buds appear to be developed so you should go ahead and just remove the leaves. It is better to remove them since the shrub is going dormant rather than to let the leaves drop on your potting mix. This may harbor potential fungal problems that could damage your cuttings.