Boxwood Hardwood Cuttings

Taking boxwood cuttings in midsummer catches the stems at just the right stage to give you the best chance of success.

Boxwood hardwood cuttings.

Only cut healthy stems with no insect damage or discoloration. Start boxwood cuttings in midsummer after the spring growth has hardened and produced mature leaves. Strip the bottom half of the cutting of its leaves. How i propagate boxwood.

It should be noted that the hardwood cuttings take longer to root. I ve discussed the basic theory of how plants can be propagated from cuttings in the article propagating softwood cuttings so i ll go straight. Hardwood cuttings are generally taken from the current year growth at the end of autumn or in winter or early spring when the plant is fully dormant with no active growth. The wood is firm and does not bend easily.

You can remove the desired cutting by gently snapping it off using your thumb and forefinger a sterile knife or a pair of gardening shears whichever way you prefer. Cut 3 to 4 inch 7 5 to 10 cm tips of new growth with a sharp knife. Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter during dormancy when all leaves have fallen. The cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches in length.

I always plant 5 7 stems together just to achieve an instant shrub effect. Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody perennials e g. When cutting boxwood buxus spp for propagation the success you are likely to have from a particular piece of stem depends not so much on its dimensions as its age. I place several cuttings into the pot.

In spring or early fall if you live in a warm climate take tip cuttings 6 inches in length. Place boxwood slips into potting medium using a dauber of some sort i used a sharpie back end to create a slot to place your cutting into your pot of soil i used my diy potting soil by creating a hole in the soil you prevent the rooting hormone from getting removed as you slide in the stem. Remove the lower inch of leaves. Hardwood cuttings provide an easy and reliable method of propagating a range of deciduous climbers trees and shrubs and as bonus they are taken from mid autumn until late winter when more time is usually available to the gardener.

Forsythia cornus and willow in autumn and winter. Boxwood cuttings root best. They can take several months to produce roots so leave them for a year before lifting and potting up or transplanting.