Harvesting cuttings

[dipper]

when can a guy start harvesting cuttings? I've got a bunch of ninebark shrubs cut down, that needed to be removed. I want them for cuttings, and I dont care to keep them in a refrigerator till planting time. The ole lady isn't gonna let it fly in her frig and I'm not sacrificing my beer frig. No cutting takes priority over cold Beer.
It's cold enough outside by me, I just don't want them to dry out. I'm thinking of freezing them in a few inches of water. I can't see how this would hurt them?

 

[John-W-WI]

They can be harvested now. But as you mention, storing them is the tricky part.

They should be stored as close to 30 degrees as possible, sealed in a plastic bag so they don't dehydrate.

I've never tried freezing them in water, but it sounds like it's worth a try.

Its cold enough outside right now, but might warm up before its time to plant? I would go the freezer route before I tried a snow bank. I always worry about the ground being too warm under lots of snow. Never tried it though, just speculation.

-John

 

[dipper]

Thnks John u are the expert.
Wait a minute I bought our new frig this fall. I should have a say in what goes in it....

 

[NWWI]

I read somewhere a while back a guy was storing the angled end in a bucket with sand and he painted the other end with white latex paint to keep it from drying out. I tried it one year and it worked. I usually just buy them from John and they work too. I really liked the white paint because they were easy to spot. Maybe someone else can elaborate on this tactic.

 

[dipper]

Yup I've done paint before with spray paint, works great and u don't plant them upside down. I go kinda crazy when I plant so I don't have time to think. Haha I don't worry about the top drying out though

 

[leexrayshady]

wet sand?

 

[John-W-WI]

Be careful with the sand storage technique. That is to get them to root before you plant them (that's how I started in the cuttings world). If they root before you plant them, you will be digging a hole. That defeats the purpose of cuttings in my book. Just buy bare root from MDC then :)

-John