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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 29, 2017 11:02:07 GMT -6
I would like to cut and plant a bunch of these in the spring, anyone done this, could I get a step by step.
Thanks
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Post by smsmith on Nov 29, 2017 12:26:33 GMT -6
It's pretty easy, but the success rate is low IME. I'd encourage you to go the bareroot route if you want high success rates.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 29, 2017 12:40:18 GMT -6
Mainly just supplemental for now. No cost?
If I can get 10% survival, be fine?
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Post by smsmith on Nov 29, 2017 12:44:39 GMT -6
10% would be about the most I've ever got. To make the cuttings is easy...find clumps of ROD with fresh (red in the winter) growth. While the ROD is dormant, cut red growth into 12-24" sticks (no side branches). Store in coldest part of the fridge until the ground is soft enough to shove the sticks into the ground. You can use a piece of re-rod to make pilot holes. Leave no more than a few inches above ground. Walk away and pray
edit...probably a good idea to cut the bottoms of the sticks at an angle and the tops flat. That way you don't waste your time shoving them in upside down.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 29, 2017 12:57:04 GMT -6
Ok got it, might head out this weekend and cut a bunch, or should I wait til Feb-March??
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Post by benmnwi on Nov 29, 2017 13:44:17 GMT -6
I haven't had much luck with planting cuttings directly into sod, but they do really well if you put the cuttings in pots and water frequently during summer and plant them in the fall. I do that if I need a couple dozen to fill in some gaps here and there. As soon as the soil has warmed enough to fill up some pots with dirt I cut the still dormant ROD and put a couple of the cuttings in each pot. Usually that is around April. Keep them watered until September and you are in good shape and ready to transplant.
As Stu said, it would probably be easier just to order bare roots but you're certainly not out anything if you give cuttings a try.
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Post by mnaaron on Nov 29, 2017 14:52:47 GMT -6
Ben do you wait till fall due to heat stress, dormancy or what
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Post by smsmith on Nov 29, 2017 15:07:59 GMT -6
Ok got it, might head out this weekend and cut a bunch, or should I wait til Feb-March?? I'd wait unless you don't mind having a big bag of cuttings in the fridge for months. They're better off outside anyway. Let Ma Nature take care of them for as long as possible.
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 29, 2017 15:40:49 GMT -6
I have a fenced in area where I have planted 100 ROD (50 last year and 50 the year before) and I went with bare root from NCR. Most of them are doing very well and I am hoping they fill out and provide the vertical cover for pheasants I want.
I tried a few different cuttings from John at Big Rock but they never did very well.
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Post by wiscwhip on Nov 29, 2017 15:59:19 GMT -6
If you are really serious about getting them going, pick up some Hormodin 3 rooting hormone. It is for hard to root woody shrubs and may increase your survival rates.
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Post by benmnwi on Nov 29, 2017 16:16:24 GMT -6
Ben do you wait till fall due to heat stress, dormancy or what
It takes them a while to grow roots that are big enough to compete in the wild, so it helps to baby them for a while with lots of water. Some take off right away and could be transplanted earlier, but a late summer dry spell could kill them. If they dry out at all before the roots are well established they die.
If you keep them well watered in pots they can grow 2+ feet by September. I've also noticed that some random cuttings grow like crazy and some don't grow well nearly as fast. I have no idea what causes that, but I always throw 3 or 4 cuttings in each pot to make sure at least one does well.
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Post by wildfire123 on Nov 29, 2017 16:26:32 GMT -6
Last fall took a pruner and cut some new growth off, transplanted them, not sure if any made it. The ground was not completely frozen, the ground was swamp.
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 29, 2017 20:12:41 GMT -6
I'd also place a call to NCR to see if by a long shot they've got some ROD size 6 plugs. I never knew how lucky I was the year I planted about 250 of them. Little did I know they'd never be in stock or that size ever again at Itasca.
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cavey
New Member
Posts: 3
Likes: 7
Location: NW Wisconsin
Zone: 4a
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Post by cavey on Nov 30, 2017 17:20:14 GMT -6
First post here on the site so... here i go... I Just read your question on ROD.
I dont have a pic to show the method but IMO red osier is the easiest plant to do cuttings on. In the late winter while still dormant I go and take cuttings; off healthy looking plants with a strong red coloration (just my preference). I take 1 foot cuttings from the ends of the shrubs -newer growth), then nip off a couple inches off the end most part - similar to doing scion wood for apple trees ( new growth but not the very end/tip wood).. So say 10" cuttings. I prefer less than pencil sized dia cuttings. Put them in a bag and take home. I dip the cut ends - both sides in candle wax, wrap/tie them together in bundle, bag them in a bigger Zip lock bag with a damp piece or two of paper towel. Last year I just took cellophane and wrapped those bags tight ... needed space , and put them in a fridge until spring, mid april. Just left them in there and didnt reopen the bags... I had - Im guessing 300 plus cuttings in bags. I have not had much problems with mold before but you could check for that while storing. Some may say poke a few holes in the bag.. im guessing you may have to re-wet the towels then in time.. my goal was to keep the cuttings from drying out.
Then in spring I got 6 big bags of miracle grow I believe the garden soil bags, 7.50 a bag? The big bags anyways (you could just use composted soil and garbage bags). Flopped the bags down on edge, side by side - fluffed them kind of like a pillow - goal is to have about 8" of soil depth to put the 10" cuttings into. Then I just take a pencil and poke holes into the bag on the top and upper sides an inch or two apart all over bags. The corners of the bag are now pointed up like ears on the ends of the bags as they are laid out on their sides, I just cut them off enough to poke a garden hose into each bag to water both ends. I get the soil wet like a damp swamp. Stick a cutting in each hole with at least two buds out and the rest into the soil. Looks like a porcupine with red quills. Pretty much just watch them grow,the bags hold in the moisture.. a little bit of watering. I get between 2 - 3 feet of growth by fall with 80-90% survival... you can plant when ever after that, I wait till spring, cut more cutting off the tops of them and then plant 1-2' bare roots taken from the bags. I only did the bags because I thought a few hundred would be enough for me, Ive done this now 3 years in a row and still want more cuttings...this spring Im making 2'x'10 foot wooden raised beds for planting more volume and I will poly up the beds and use free composted soil from our city landfill same concept just bigger container.
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 30, 2017 17:27:52 GMT -6
First post here on the site so... here i go... I Just read your question on ROD. I dont have a pic to show the method but IMO red osier is the easiest plant to do cuttings on. In the late winter while still dormant I go and take cuttings; off healthy looking plants with a strong red coloration (just my preference). I take 1 foot cuttings from the ends of the shrubs -newer growth), then nip off a couple inches off the end most part - similar to doing scion wood for apple trees ( new growth but not the very end/tip wood).. So say 10" cuttings. I prefer less than pencil sized dia cuttings. Put them in a bag and take home. I dip the cut ends - both sides in candle wax, wrap/tie them together in bundle, bag them in a bigger Zip lock bag with a damp piece or two of paper towel. Last year I just took cellophane and wrapped those bags tight ... needed space , and put them in a fridge until spring, mid april. Just left them in there and didnt reopen the bags... I had - Im guessing 300 plus cuttings in bags. I have not had much problems with mold before but you could check for that while storing. Some may say poke a few holes in the bag.. im guessing you may have to re-wet the towels then in time.. my goal was to keep the cuttings from drying out. Then in spring I got 6 big bags of miracle grow I believe the garden soil bags, 7.50 a bag? The big bags anyways (you could just use composted soil and garbage bags). Flopped the bags down on edge, side by side - fluffed them kind of like a pillow - goal is to have about 8" of soil depth to put the 10" cuttings into. Then I just take a pencil and poke holes into the bag on the top and upper sides an inch or two apart all over bags. The corners of the bag are now pointed up like ears on the ends of the bags as they are laid out on their sides, I just cut them off enough to poke a garden hose into each bag to water both ends. I get the soil wet like a damp swamp. Stick a cutting in each hole with at least two buds out and the rest into the soil. Looks like a porcupine with red quills. Pretty much just watch them grow,the bags hold in the moisture.. a little bit of watering. I get between 2 - 3 feet of growth by fall with 80-90% survival... you can plant when ever after that, I wait till spring, cut more cutting off the tops of them and then plant 1-2' bare roots taken from the bags. I only did the bags because I thought a few hundred would be enough for me, Ive done this now 3 years in a row and still want more cuttings...this spring Im making 2'x'10 foot wooden raised beds for planting more volume and I will poly up the beds and use free composted soil from our city landfill same concept just bigger container. Welcome Cavey! Good idea with the bags, I can see that being a slick way to ensure they don't dry out and grow. Thanks!
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