Taking hardwood cuttings

Before the season gets too far advanced there is still time to take many types of hardwood or semi hardwood cuttings.

All you need to do this is a pair of secateurs or pruning knife, and a corner of the vegetable patch or one of your borders.

It will even work in a bucket of sandy soil or cold frame.

The example I am going to do is Poplar but this works just as well with Salix, Ribes, Buddleia, roses and a host of others.

First, select a good sturdy stem that is a year old (two year old wood will work but can be a lot more stubborn to get going.

You need a piece of stock about 10-40cm with strong swelling buds and no visible damage, fungus or insect damage.

Take the stock from the host. cut a straight cut just below a node (bud) as close as possible but without causing damage. This is where the roots will develop below the ground.

Then count out 8-12 buds and trim the weaker growth from the top with a sloping cut just above a bud.

The clean sloping cuts will ensure that you do not get die back below the ground or at the growing tip otherwise infection may set in and render your stock useless and possibly contaminate the rest.

You can now dip the thick end into rooting compound although with poplar it is not essential and I rarely use it.

With a screwdriver or dibber make a hole into the fresh soil or medium you have chosen and insert the stock into the hole so that at least 5 buds are covered.

I like to pour water into the hole at this point, very much like you would transplant a leek. This will allow the fine soil particles to wash against the stem without the potential of the buds breaking off.

Then just wait, keep weeds away from the base and water to stop them drying out.

Take a few cuttings to allow for failures and by the Autumn you can transplant to your required location.
It is free and very satisfying. I took 20 Poplar cuttings two springs ago and I have just transplanted the trees which now range from 1.8m to 4m high.