Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone
to suffer from fungal infections.

--

Jeff

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:50:01 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone
to suffer from fungal infections.

Jeff, we'll await the results of your experiments!

Pam in Bristol

"Jeff Layman" wrote
Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone
to suffer from fungal infections.
---------------------------

I've never cut a leaf of a cutting in half, they either stay or are removed.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone to
suffer from fungal infections.

--

Jeff

In my experience it makes little difference to the strike rate, but cutting
the leaves in half makes handling and placing the cuttings easier if you are
doing a lot, so its like many bits of information on propagation - skewed to
the way a nurseryman would do it, another classic is "take internodal
cuttings" in fact they root just as well nodally as internodally but the
nurseryman will always favour internodal because you get twice as many
cuttings :~)


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

"Martin" wrote ...

"Bob Hobden"wrote:

"Jeff Layman" wrote
Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone
to suffer from fungal infections.
---------------------------

I've never cut a leaf of a cutting in half, they either stay or are
removed.

Also counting six rather than five or seven when pruning wisteria.
Based on scientific fact or pure whimsy?
----------------------------------

I never count, just do it by eye/feel.
I do, however, prune back to 2 or 3 buds in the winter.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 30/07/2011 22:47, Pam Moore wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:50:01 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

Watching cuttings being taken on GW last night, and hearing the usual
advice to "cut the last pair of leaves in half if they are too big" for
the umpteenth time over many years made me think.

Why not simply cut one leaf off through its stalk rather than cut two
leaves in half? It would be a lot simpler, as other leaves lower down
would already have been removed in that fashion. Surely it would also
reduce stress for the cutting as it would lead to less water loss, and
give the advantage that a much smaller cut area would be far less prone
to suffer from fungal infections.

Jeff, we'll await the results of your experiments!

I only take cuttings of cacti and succulents. No leaves to worry
about... ;-))

Well, not quite true. But I'm not very good at getting cuttings to
root, and I was just intrigued by this advice. Next time I try I'll
divide the cuttings into cut leaves and single leaves. Maybe others
here can also try and report back their experience, although maybe
Charlie P. has already answered the point.

--

Jeff