I m going to talk about asexual propagation by cuttings during the summer.
Why propagate from dormant hardwood cuttings.
There are 3 types of stem cuttings.
Grape plants are easy to propagate from cuttings.
Hardwood cuttings done in the late fall or winter do not need to be covered.
Hardwood cuttings are used most often for deciduous shrubs but can be used for many evergreens.
This is my favourite way to propagate plants in my plant nursery.
Plants generally are fully dormant with no obvious signs of active growth.
Hardwood cuttings are taken from dormant mature stems in late fall winter or early spring.
The wood is firm and does not bend easily.
I ve had a lot of experience with dormant hardwood cuttings.
How to propagate plants from dormant hardwood cuttings.
They worked best when pruned before the sap starts flowing up.
Cuttings taken from dormant before budding mature woody stems in late fall winter or early spring.
Hardwood propagation is the most common method though there are a select few types of grapes that cannot be propagated using hardwood cuttings like muscadine grapes.
Fortunately a number of popular trees and shrubs can be rooted easily in the dormant season via hardwood cuttings see table and require much less attention.
Cut in late winter from the mother plant.
In iowa hardwood stem cuttings should be collected in late february or early march.
Hardwood cuttings are even simpler to prepare than softwood or herbaceous cuttings as we use cuttings from dormant deciduous trees and woody plants and this technique is very useful for propagating fruit trees such as figs pomegranates mulberries and quince.
Keeping em moist but not soggy.
Early spring cuttings may be more fun for the family since the weather is warmer and it is before yard or garden work.
Using a sterile medium perlite vermiculite helps to ensure there aren t any critters to nibble on the new growth.
Propagating grapes from hardwood cuttings.
Softwood cuttings are done in the summer semi hardwood cutting are done in the fall and hardwood cutting we do in the winter when the plant is dormant.
Hardwood stem cuttings are collected in late winter when the plant material is dormant from wood of the previous season s growth.
Cuttings should be taken from healthy vigorous plants growing in full sun.
Most of the time they are done during the winter months when the plants are dormant.
Last winter i did my hardwood cuttings on 3 31 with great results and will probably always do them that way from now on.
Cuttings taken in the late fall and winter are known as hardwood cuttings because just as it sounds the wood is much harder during the fall and winter than it is during the growing season.
Spring and summer is when most people think about propagating garden plants but caring for tender cuttings through the heat of summer can be challenging.
