Redosier Cuttings

[cavey]

Tis the season up here... this is my second batch of cuttings. With this batch I'm well up over 600... They are thee easiest cuttings to propagate. Im shooting for about a 1000. The plan this year is to box up a sand bed for them,,, I might try and mix in some small pea gravel after seeing a post on gravel beds. I came across a couple large patches of Redosier sprouts in the ditch on the county road near my property (it was on public land not just ditch frontage of someone's private land I had a gps app to make sure) and while Im not a big ditch raider its in the mow zone which because its near an intersection is constantly cut down and as I pay taxes I figured -- well their mine now. In about 5 minutes of cutting I snagged these.
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[scott44]

Tis the season up here... this is my second batch of cuttings. With this batch I'm well up over 600... They are thee easiest cuttings to propagate. Im shooting for about a 1000. The plan this year is to box up a sand bed for them,,, I might try and mix in some small pea gravel after seeing a post on gravel beds. I came across a couple large patches of Redosier sprouts in the ditch on the county road near my property (it was on public land not just ditch frontage of someone's private land I had a gps app to make sure) and while Im not a big ditch raider its in the mow zone which because its near an intersection is constantly cut down and as I pay taxes I figured -- well their mine now. In about 5 minutes of cutting I snagged these.
View attachment 17542.View attachment 17543

Good find! That's what I do also, it's a little work but it's worth it. Went out yesterday thinking I was going to stick some in the ground and found frost down a couple inches so it's going to be a little longer.

 

[Wild Thing]

Tis the season up here... this is my second batch of cuttings. With this batch I'm well up over 600... They are thee easiest cuttings to propagate. Im shooting for about a 1000. The plan this year is to box up a sand bed for them,,, I might try and mix in some small pea gravel after seeing a post on gravel beds. I came across a couple large patches of Redosier sprouts in the ditch on the county road near my property (it was on public land not just ditch frontage of someone's private land I had a gps app to make sure) and while Im not a big ditch raider its in the mow zone which because its near an intersection is constantly cut down and as I pay taxes I figured -- well their mine now. In about 5 minutes of cutting I snagged these.
View attachment 17542.View attachment 17543

Not experienced at all with cuttings Cavey. Those in the bucket look to be about half the size of those on the tail gate. Do you just cut long ones and then cut them in half again? Do you need to plant them in your garden for a year or will the grow if just stuck in the ground like Scott44 is suggesting?

Newbie to 'cuttings" here - thanks for the help.

 

[Telemark]

I wish I could find the stuff. It's expensive to buy in large quantities.

 

[silver_yummies]

Not experienced at all with cuttings Cavey. Those in the bucket look to be about half the size of those on the tail gate. Do you just cut long ones and then cut them in half again? Do you need to plant them in your garden for a year or will the grow if just stuck in the ground like Scott44 is suggesting?

Newbie to 'cuttings" here - thanks for the help.

Also interested in knowing. I planted a bundle of this last year and would like to take cuttings and keep expanding the red osier patch with no additional cost to me. Do you have to dip the cutting in a hormone or just cut and stick it in the ground?

 

[cavey]

Wildthing,
yep, the long ones are just the field cuttings that I tossed into the back of the truck, I brought them home and cut them down so that they will fit in large zip lock bags. It just happens to end up being about the height of a 5 gal pail. Then took them into the house when the wife was gone and wax dipped the ends to seal in moisture. Dipped them in 25 count bundles - goes fast. Combined them into 50 count groups and taped them, Dropped them into the zip lock bags with a damp piece of paper towel and sealed them, Im out of fridge space (have apple and crab scion stuffed in the back) and don't want her mad so I've got them chilled in coolers with my apple root stock.

Planting them.. you can directly stick them into the ground (at least 2 buds in and 1 to 2 out) especially if it is damper soil and will stay wet enough for them to take root. I have in the past used large bags of potting soil and stuck them into the bags which where set on edge to allow for the cuttings to be deep enough in the bag to take root, add water and the bags keep the soil moist, no weeds and barely any more watering. I'm going to frame up growing bed for them and line it with plastic and put in a sandy soil medium ... transplant next spring after a growing season in the bed... I would think if you potted them you could plant them in the fall.

I used to dip cuttings and scion one at a time them I remembered this cheesy little cast iron candle thing I bought my wife which she never used. I have used it on the stove (old stove) and also with a little outside Lp burner it works great... if I ever find a taller cast metal pot or jar I will likely use that in the future... just drop I the wax, melt it and dip away in small bundles.

 

[cavey]

I have rooting hormone but have never had to use it on Redosier...

also we still have some spots were there is a foot of snow, south slopes are clear but fields and north slopes are snow covered in places ... ground is froze yet and Im not sure when I will be able to stick anything into the ground.

 

[Wild Thing]

Wildthing,
yep, the long ones are just the field cuttings that I tossed into the back of the truck, I brought them home and cut them down so that they will fit in large zip lock bags. It just happens to end up being about the height of a 5 gal pail. Then took them into the house when the wife was gone and wax dipped the ends to seal in moisture. Dipped them in 25 count bundles - goes fast. Combined them into 50 count groups and taped them, Dropped them into the zip lock bags with a damp piece of paper towel and sealed them, Im out of fridge space (have apple and crab scion stuffed in the back) and don't want her mad so I've got them chilled in coolers with my apple root stock.

Planting them.. you can directly stick them into the ground (at least 2 buds in and 1 to 2 out) especially if it is damper soil and will stay wet enough for them to take root. I have in the past used large bags of potting soil and stuck them into the bags which where set on edge to allow for the cuttings to be deep enough in the bag to take root, add water and the bags keep the soil moist, no weeds and barely any more watering. I'm going to frame up growing bed for them and line it with plastic and put in a sandy soil medium ... transplant next spring after a growing season in the bed... I would think if you potted them you could plant them in the fall.

I used to dip cuttings and scion one at a time them I remembered this cheesy little cast iron candle thing I bought my wife which she never used. I have used it on the stove (old stove) and also with a little outside Lp burner it works great... if I ever find a taller cast metal pot or jar I will likely use that in the future... just drop I the wax, melt it and dip away in small bundles.
View attachment 17551View attachment 17552

Thanks for the lesson Cavey. We still have plenty of snow here too but I may keep my eye out for some ROD in the ditches and give it a try soon.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Where do you get the wax? Anything special? Does it harm the cuttings when hot? Do you remove it prior to planting?

thanks,

bill

 

[cavey]

Its just candle wax; I don't remove it; and it does more good than harm - seals in the moisture helping to preserve the cutting till planting. Its just an added step I've done with all my hard wood cuttings that get cold stored. I don't really think its all that hot anyways.... I as going to add a comment on hot candle wax but I will leave that alone..... I do the same with scion wood cuttings, I think most of the apple guys on here do seal their cuttings.

 

[chickenlittle]

I use toilet bowl wax with my grafts.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Chicken - How exactly do you apply the toilet wax ?? What gets covered ??

 

[chickenlittle]

I melt the wax in a double boiler. Scionwood i dip the cut ends. For grafts, i brush the wax on. You can add beeswax and paraffin too.

 

[cavey]

Just to be clear I also don't use candle wax on my grafted joints, just the raw ends of the cuttings and the tip end of my scion once grafted. Redosier doesn't take root from my experience from the cut end of the cutting placed in the soil - it roots higher up from bud sites so the wax only acts as a sealing agent. If your waxing over buds paraffin or a softer wax would be better Im just covering the ends.

 

[Peplin Creek]

So when you transplant them, what site specifications are you looking for? Wetter open ground? Areas with mostly sun?

 

[Wild Thing]

Full sun never hurts but I think a little moister soil is probably most important. Just my opinion.

 

[cavey]

Full sun never hurts but I think a little moister soil is probably most important. Just my opinion.

Yes, What wildthing said,,, they definitely do better in damper soils, especially if you just sticking the cuttings into the ground. I pot or bed mine out, once rooted they can go almost anywhere. They are a wetland/wet soil plant - that is where you usually see them. But are a common ornamental plant(variants) as well and planted around yards. For cuttings, I just stick them in damper ground, I have some wetter field edges. The rooted out plants, I just plant where I want a bunch lined up for browsing... I like the color the red brings to my plantings, they really pop out in the winter.. any opens spots along roads or trails. One thing for thought is that I intend to cut them back periodically especially in areas i want to keep them for browse (if the deer dont keep them browsed down) and some will say they can get a bit weedy I have not found that to much) If they get older/larger they tend to lose the bright red color. The do produce a berry for wildlife birds turkey etc.

 

[Aaron]

Got a few out of the road ditch today, can I just cut and put in water to root like you do for willows?

 

[cavey]

I honestly dont know, others will have to say yay or nay to that, I have always potted them or put them into soil.

 

[Aaron]

Putting the cuttings in water works. About 25% success rate.