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Old 16-05-2018, 02:49 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp is offline
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Default Oleria Traversii seeds?

On Wed, 16 May 2018 13:16:49 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Wed, 16 May 2018 12:00:27 +0100, Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp
wrote:

On Wed, 16 May 2018 09:03:25 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Wed, 16 May 2018 08:21:13 +0100, Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp
wrote:

Are olearia seeds a practical route to a hedge in the UK?

I cannot find a supplier, yet I'm told that the Olearia Traversii
grown here flower annually.

Regards

AB

I have two substantial hedges of OT. While it produces flowers of a
sort, I'm not aware that they have ever set seed. The recommended
method of propagation is by cuttings of half-ripe growth, say 6-8"
long with a heel and with the lower leaves stripped off leaving only a
few at the top. Best taken in late summer.


Thanks, it probably explains why I have a cuttings success rate of
around 5-10%

Half ripe? I usually took about 4-6 cm from the top of a branch. I
thought I saw somewhere that a freshly growing tip was going to root
more readily than older wood.

What is half ripe? is it the point where the hard wood gives way to
the softer growth?

Sory but my ignorance of gardening matters is all inclusive :-(

Regards

AB


When young shoots of shrubs etc first appear and grow, they are very
soft and green. Later in their existence they become woody and hard.
Half-ripe or semi-ripe growth is the transition stage between soft and
hard. It's not a length thing, but a texture thing. Soft growth is
just that: soft and floppy. Half-ripe or semi-ripe growth isn't
floppy, but neither is it rigid and brittle like hardwood.

Most shrubs put on growth during the spring and summer, but stop
growing towards the end of summer and the growth starts to harden up
in late summer through into autumn. By the end of the autumn they are
usually fairly hard, in preparation for the rigors of winter (cold,
frosty conditions, low light levels, short days, wind, etc).

While in that transition stage, they are still capable of making roots
fairly quickly, say a few weeks, and it's usually the best time to
take cuttings. Although soft cuttings can be taken for many shrubs
earlier in the year, IMO they are more prone to failing due disease.
Hardwood cuttings can also be taken, but they take a lot longer to
root, often several months over the winter period suffering the slings
and arrows of outrageous fortune all the while.

For many plants, a success rate of 5-10% isn't too bad for an amateur.
Hopeless for a professional of course who relies on a high rate of
success for his living. It rather depends on how many plants you want
to end up with. When I take cuttings, I always take far more than I
need. If they all root, they get given away to family and friends, but
as that situation seldom arises, ending up with two or three is
probably all I wanted anyway.


Many thanks, that was a very comprehensive explanation. It also
suggests that what I thought were random sproutings of roots over
time, were actually just a difference due to the time of planting and
hardness.

A final query, I can't help but notice the cuttings with rooting
compound have an almost zero success rate. To be honest I didn't
follow the instructions to the letter and wipe the excess off, I just
planted them with what was left sticking to the cutting after dipping.

My none coated cuttings seem to have a better survival rate.

Is rooting compound worth the effort, or should I give it a miss?

AB