On 26/05/2013 08:47, Emery Davis wrote:
On Sun, 26 May 2013 07:26:28 +0100, Michael Bell wrote:

I know what you are saying, but setting that aside, there really ought
to be a way of taking cutttings from trees of any kind and that is the
question I asked.

Not all trees can be grown from cuttings. For many Japanese maple
cultivars, and several maple species, it is virtually impossible. Some
work at a low percentage rate, then are liable to fail suddenly. Others
are viable at a commercial scale, and there are now a few nurseries
propagating them in this manner, even though some are leery of their long
term health.

Assuming you are attempting to propagate A. glutinosa, here is what Dirr
and Heuser have to say in "The Reference Manual of Woody Plant
Propagation."

"CUTTINGS: Cuttings (no time given), wound, 8000 ppm IBA-talc, rooted
64%. Without treatment there was no rooting. In general, this species is
produced from seed, however, two notable cutleaf selections, 'Imperialis'
and 'Laciniata', can be rooted successfully. Mid-July cuttings of
'Imperialis' rooted 34% in 7 weeks when treated with 5000 ppm 2,4,5-TP
and 58% with 5000 ppm 2,4,5-TP plus Rootone. Late June 'Laciniata'
cuttings rooted 34% in 7 weeks with a wound and 8000 ppm IBA-talc plus
thiram, mist. Another report noted 'Imperialis' rooted easily from
softwoods when treated with 3000 ppm IBA-talc."

Other information is offered on grafting and tissue culture, several Alnus
species are covered.

Dirr and Heuser is a standard horticultural reference that should be
available at any decent university library, and many public libraries.
May I suggest that use of the literature would be a good idea given how
long your experiments are likely to run.

Good luck,

-E

In the past I used IBA bought as chemical in minute quantities, it had
to be dissolved in methyl alcohol then diluted to strength with water,
it was a job that required chemical scales which I had access to at a
local university.
It should be remembered that the alcohol is a poison and can be absorbed
through the skin..
I thought you were going to graft your chosen cultivators.