Author Topic: Propagation for besr results several temperate/semi temperate species  (Read 838 times)

D-Grower

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Always have a bit of a hard time getting certain species rooted. I do usually get some success but for example with grapes and figs maybe I'll get up to 2 of say 10-20 cuttings to take. For the following species whats been your keys to success?

Fig
Muscadine Grape
Sherbet berry
Pineapple guava
Psidium Longipetiolatum
Apples
Pears
Goumi
Aronia
Mulberry
Autumn Olive

If it is simply just have a root stock and graft it then thats fine. However I did try apple cuttings this year and maybe some have taken but not sure yet. Perhaps this is a just graft it species. 

When I tried cuttings of several of these it was just done traditional style. Cuttings in moist soil with and without adding humidity on different tries. Usually dormant cuttings nearing waking in spring.  What are your suggestions for better success?
Trying to grow it all!

Galatians522

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Re: Propagation for besr results several temperate/semi temperate species
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2021, 03:02:46 PM »
The general rule of thumb for most semi-hard wood cuttings is 50% shade with intermittant mist set to 3 seconds every 5 minutes from sun up to 1 hour before sun down (no mist at night). The rooting media should be 50/50 peat moss and pearlite or sterile sand. Use a dibble stick to make the hole in the media, and dip the slightly moist cutting in IBA powder. Then stick it in the hole and firm the soil around it so that the IBA rooting hormone does not get rubbed off.

For muscadine grape, I have had good success burrying part of the vine in moist sand. It should root in a month or two and then you can sever it from the vine and place it in a mist house. If the vine isn't long enough to reach the ground, you can suspend a pot from the trellis or arbor, slide the vine through the bottom drain hole and then fill with sand/soil. You don't need to wound the vine, but you will need to keep the soil moist. Muscadines naturally put out roots in response to moist conditions (if humidity is high, they will sometimes do this even in the air!).

You might try air layering some of the plants on your list. I believe it works well on fig and mulberry.

D-Grower

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Re: Propagation for besr results several temperate/semi temperate species
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2021, 05:27:42 PM »
Thanks for the quality reply! Lots of good advice. Did put some air layers on a few things. Do you need to scrape the stem an inch or so on most things like figs and mulberry? Right below a node and put your layer around that node.
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Galatians522

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Re: Propagation for besr results several temperate/semi temperate species
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2021, 09:36:48 PM »
Thanks for the quality reply! Lots of good advice. Did put some air layers on a few things. Do you need to scrape the stem an inch or so on most things like figs and mulberry? Right below a node and put your layer around that node.

Most of my experience with air layering comes from lychee, but I have tried a number of other things over the years and usually have good success applying the same principles. An inch girdle should work fine. For most things that I have air layered, the location of the node does not make a difference because the roots actually arise from the callous that forms at the top of the girdle. Two things that are very important are, 1). removing the cambium and 2). picking a branch that has good sun exposure. The girdling part is easiest to do when the bark is slipping. Pull the ring of bark off and then scrape the wood to ensure that ALL TRACES of cambium are gone. Even an 1/8" connecting strip can cause a layer to fail according to an Australian paper I read. Also, you want the leaves of the layer to have as much light as possible--the more sun there is the faster it will root.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2021, 09:38:20 PM by Galatians522 »

D-Grower

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Re: Propagation for besr results several temperate/semi temperate species
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2021, 10:20:13 PM »
Thanks again for your help!  I'll throw a few layers on a few more species and see how it goes. The vine I recently did I have done it with before and the cambium scraping thing doesnt matter for that. However ive got figs, mulberries,  and several others to try it on. Mostly stuff on the list above. Need rootstock for future grafting projects.  Really need bunches of mulberries as im a big fan of them and want to try grafting some of kaz's varieties again in spring. Will try on my main tree again but wouldn't mind stand alone trees in pots to try too.
Trying to grow it all!