Another garden enthusiast, Mr. John Allen has recently reminded me of a garden activity appropriate to the season that is best performed in winter when most species are dormant. Making ‘hardwood cuttings’ is a form of propagation that exploits the natural dormancy cycle of the species involved.

Unlike softwood and semihardwood cuttings that exploit the active growth that occurs between spring and summer, hardwood cuttings are ‘stuck’ (installed in their rooting medium) when inactive so that they can emerge slowly from dormancy in their new environment, producing new adventitious roots as needed. Root or leaf cuttings are very different from these three forms of stem cuttings and may be discussed later, when seasonable.

The newest growth from the previous season is most conducive to rooting as hardwood cuttings. Deciduous species, such as rose, weigela, forsythia, grape, lilac (the simple species, but not the French hybrids) and California dogwood are some of the many examples of species that can be rooted as hardwood cuttings. With the exception of poplars and willows, most large trees are not so easy to root as hardwood cuttings. Most evergreen species, although dormant, are generally propagated by other procedures because remaining foliage may cause adverse desiccation of the cuttings.

For most species, the best cuttings are about six inches long with about the same diameter as a pencil. They are not necessarily the most distal (farther from the parent plant) growth but should originate where the stem is of sufficient caliper (width). Any length of stem beyond six inches from this same origin may be removed. The stem should be cut at the proximal end (toward the parent plant) immediately below a bud. The distal end should be cut immediately beyond a bud.

Cuttings may be stuck directly where the resulting plant is desired, or rooted in a flat or container for transplant later. Rooting hormones may be used to promote adventitious roots. During the rooting process, it is imperative that the medium does not completely dry nor become completely saturated for too long. New roots will not survive without adequate aeration.