Author Topic: Sassafras root suckers  (Read 2184 times)

DimplesLee

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Sassafras root suckers
« on: February 22, 2017, 08:50:17 AM »
Hi! Has anyone had any successful experience trying to cut off and replant sassafras root suckers? How did you go about it? I have tried taking cuttings from someone's mature coppiced stand and it does not matter if I take them during the "dormant" period or active growth - they die eventually? Is sassafras propagated by seed only?


Have also tried airlayers - no luck. I am looking into growing root suckers because I am having a hard time growing them past a couple of months from seed.


Thanks for any advice!
Diggin in dirt and shifting compost - gardeners crossfit regime :)

polux

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Re: Sassafras root suckers
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2017, 05:17:00 PM »
I have few plants from seeds. Seeds must be fresh and they need undergo stratification. They grow very slowly but leaves has nice smell

TriangleJohn

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Re: Sassafras root suckers
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2017, 12:40:49 PM »
I've tried every trick that I know and the only success has come from seeds. You'll work hard to get to the fruit before all the birds eat them. I was lucky in that my neighbor just happened to have a female tree next to his deck so he could bring seeds whenever it fruited. I've moved and lost touch with him. I keep checking the mature trees in the woods beside my house and I have never seen them bloom or fruit.

DimplesLee

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Re: Sassafras root suckers
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2017, 08:43:44 AM »
Yes I was told seeds are the best way but mine seems to germinate and then gets stunted and die off after putting out a pair of leaves or so. Can't seem to get things right no matter what potting mix I use and any adjustments environment-wise.
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Citradia

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Re: Sassafras root suckers
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2017, 08:57:11 PM »
Sassafras trees grow wild here. I've cut them down to plant other trees in my orchard, and the sassafras keeps coming back from roots. Can't hardly kill it even with round up. I bet if I jerked a piece of it up and planted it it would grow here. Where do you live? Maybe your climate isn't conducive for sassafras. It's blooming on the sides of the road here right now. Pretty yellow flowers. Roots do smell like root beer!