cuttings - help a rookie out

[John-W-WI]

John, I bought some bareroot HP from Cold Stream a few years ago (6?). They have a few cultivars and when ordering you can stipulate your growing conditions and they'll give you the "best" cultivar for the described conditions (or something along those lines...its been awhile)

I planted those bareroot HP's in the acidic, infertile sands of northern Juneau Cty, WI. I expected them to all die, but they did pretty well. I did zero prep in advance, just planted them into the existing habitat. Any idea what cultivar of HP does the best in sandy soil (ColdStream wouldn't tell me...I asked them a number of times)?

If I had to guess I would say they are DN-34... They seem to do the best in light soils.

Bare root tend to do much better than cuttings in sand because they have some roots. Sure, they go through the shock of being transplanted, but they pick up water faster than a cutting. But you have to dig holes :)

-John

 

[sandbur]

I have a section of silage bag that has ben in place for at least years and was not covered with anything. It is still working and intact.

 

[brushpile]

I have never seen HW sucker, while HP will sucker. Yes they're just sticks in Winter, but they're have utility. They're the instant first stage of re-forestation or screening, while bare root seedlings inch along. I see them as temporary trees that I can hinge cut or remove when mast bearing trees grow tall enough to take their place. They'll also act just as a fence line; birds will land in them and plant trees and shrubs for you. ;-) When My field was screened with HP, presto... deer! Then dividing the field made it even better.

I'm hinge cutting HP I planted 3 years ago, and a hinge cut HP will both survive on the ground and grow a new tree. In a hard Winter hinged HP would feed deer.

 

[Bill]

Bill, I was thinking about planting willow and hybrid poplar cuttings right now.

I never tried those in the fall. According to John less than 50% survival and he's the expert so id hold off til spring.

 

[Spiider]

Ahh, time to start thinking about cuttings guys :)