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seedy2311 · 11-01-2008, 10:45 AM

Hi, Charlie
Thank you so much for that - it's got to be worth a try, hasn't it? To pick your brains a bit more, what time of year would be the optimum for these cuttings, and should they be last year's growth? Should I use rooting hormone? Any particular way to prepare the 'rooting' end? I've tried scrabbling around in the ground under the tree, in the hope that I'll find something self-seeded, but with no luck so far.
Thanks a million for your help. As you say, nothing to lose by trying!
Take care
Seedy2311

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie Pridham[_2_]

In article ,
says...

Hi, Everyone!
Please could someone give me some advice on the best way to propagate a
beech? We bought a rather large beech tree 20 years ago to mark our
son's birth, and now we're selling up and moving. We obviously can't
dig up the tree and take it with us - it's now a very large tree - so
the only option is to take cuttings from it, generate another one from
seed (?) ... I've tried to find advice on this, but have drawn a
complete blank so far.

I'm sure there's someone out there who knows how to do this, so any
advice would be warmly welcomed!

Thanks!

Seedy2311

Had a look at my propagating book and all it gives for beech is seed or
grafting, if someone on here has a beech hedge they may be able to tell
you if it ever layers itself (which means it might go from cuttings) or
someone may have done it from cuttings. But since it wouldn't cost
anything to try I would put some foot long cuttings of about pencil
thickness about two thirds deep in gritty compost and keep your fingers
crossed. do not move them if they seem to have rooted, roots are often a
lot slower than top growth with hardwood cuttings.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea