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Old 19-03-2008, 06:09 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
David in Normandy[_7_] David in Normandy[_7_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2008
Posts: 185
Default how to grow hawthorn from a cutting?

Stuart Noble says...
David in Normandy wrote:
Stuart Noble says...
David in Normandy wrote:

I too tried hawthorn from cuttings many years ago and
didn't get a single one to root. Also tried holly without
success. However, I normally have good success with other
hedging shrubs such as pyracanthus - I've grown cuttings
for an entire hedgerow from a single plant.

Is there a best time?


I usually take my cuttings in Autumn from semi-ripe wood.
The bits that root the best tend to be strong fresh growth
but not the thin green shoots. I take lots of cuttings and
ram them all into an 8 inch pot with a mixture of garden
soil and sand in. The cuttings themselves are around 6 to 8
inches long and it tear off all leaves and side shoots
below a couple at the top - leather gloves are useful for
this - just run your fingers from top to bottom in one
swift motion tearing the leaves, spines and side shoots
off. This is just a guess but I think tearing is better
than trimming and may encourage the plant to root better.
Anyway I bury most of the cutting below the surface - the
more leaf nodes buried the more chance it will root from
one of them. Shoots torn off giving heel cuttings are also
good.
Just leave the pot in semi shade. At the side of an East
facing wall is good. Water the pot occasionally in Summer
or dry weather so it never completely dries out. By the
following Autumn tip the pot out and prick out the ones
with roots into separate pots.


Thanks, David. I did more or less what you're suggesting last Autumn but
without success. Thought I maybe should have done it in the Spring.


Perhaps you used the growth that was too young and flimsy?
I find the best shoots for cuttings are those that are
starting to put out side shoots themselves while still
being only semi-ripe wood. Similarly I avoid old wood as
that doesn't seem to readily root either.
--
David in Normandy.
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