ROD Super Seedlings

The only thing I'd recommend is to add a stake to the cage. I never used to stake them and had no problems until last fall. I still like the looks of that corner in the goldenrod to the left of the cage in photo number 3.

I bought those plugs from NCR, size 6.

There are two stakes on each cage. There’s a small farm store chain up there that had rusty fence posts on sale for 50% off. I bought a whole bundle of these. Never seem to have enough of them around.

Get more post in the ground that way, and don't need any kind of ties my way.  

Those red osier dogwoods really take off after the first year. They grow by layering too, so after a year you can just bend down a branch and throw a shovel full of dirt on top and it will send roots down there. Just need to keep them caged for a while because the deer really like to browse them.

I moved into a new development 2016 and was fortunate to back up to a wildlife area that is dense with ROD.  My backyard buffer area is full of it and last year I started burying the longer branches based on a recommendation from someone on this site (thanks).  I uncovered them this spring and found it was very successful in getting roots going.   I'll be planting them at my land in caged colonies like you have going.   Hopefully the birds will take it from there.  It's slow, but free.







upload

Pretty simple process.  Found some branches that were long enough to be buried with enough length/weight to lay on the ground without popping up.  I did that early last summer.  I've seen some sites recommend treating them with rooting stimulant, but I gave it a try without any additives.   The spot that I'm in is heavily shaded so the ground stayed pretty cool and damp.  It had leaf cover in the fall.   I pulled them up this spring and I'll be damned if there was roots.  I'm sure there might be more sophisticated or successful processes out there, but I kept mine pretty damn simple.   

From what I’ve read is you mark your proposed cuttings with flagging tape so you can find them this fall.  Once the leave go dormant you can do cuttings.  If you cut a 12” section make sure at least 1/2 of it is below ground.  Some people use rooting hormone but, it’s not required to have success.  They like moist ground. 

I think you could get a bucket of moost moist sand and keep them in that as well if you wanted to start them and over winter at home.   The key is harvesting the cuttings when dormant and before bud swell in the spring.