Taking Hardwood Cuttings

This is a good time to grow yourself some new plants. Taking cuttings from your fruit bushes while they are dormant is easy. Either grow more of your favourites or swap with other people to try some different varieties.

The best time to take cuttings is either in late autumn, just after the leaves have fallen, or in early spring, just before the plants start to bud again. All you need is a pair of sharp secateurs and a few pots full of potting compost.

Select a branch with a good amount of last years growth - you will need a piece about ten inches long. Cut it off cleanly just below a bud. If you want you can dip the end into rooting powder, otherwise just push your cutting into the compost until four or five buds are covered.

At the top of the cutting remove any soft growth by making a slanting cut just above a bud. This will allow the rain to run off. Firm the cutting into the compost and water. If over-wintering keep your cutting in a cold-frame or frost-free building.

Keep the compost moist and the buds beneath the soil will form roots. Apart from watering throughout the summer, forget about your cuttings for a year. Then, the following spring, you will hopefully have some new plants for almost no cost.

Submitted by Tigger