Propagation
I have a very scrappy weigela shrub which has never been right pruned . It also lives in the fantasm of a large genus Cornus shrub / Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree so it has got leggy for light . It ’s not a proficient shape . I ’m disposed to make this its last twelvemonth but require to interchange with a new bush of the same variety . I have a duo of hardwood cut from it which have rooted and seem to be doing ok , but I ’m taking some softwood cuttings , just in case . Early to mid - summertime is a sound time to be doing this .
Before taking any cut I have taken my usual cleanliness forethought , giving the cutting surface , blades , scissor grip , dibber etc etc a good scrub with kitchen bleach spray . It ’s temptng to plunge straight in , but 2 minutes spent here will minimise the chance of any cross - contamination that may leave in rotting or disease in the cuttings . I do this before begin any cuttings activity , and also when interchange varieties in the same session .
I trimmed off a few branchlet of this long time outgrowth from the bush and last straight to set them up .
I first snip off the very soft crown , which is too vulnerable to rotting off .
Each shank provided two , sometimes three , cuttings . For each cutting I have made a cut just above a leaf node , then just below the next leaf node . These are nodal cuttings . I also shave off the bottom leaves , and any leaf axils left behind , to ensure a clean stem , again to minimise probability of rot during the root process .
Freshly trimmed sprig
This resulted in a caboodle of two - provide cutting off . In some character , where the leaves are large , I have removed one of the leaf . This is to keep down wet going through the leaves . It ’s a residue , as the cutting also needs leaf surface for photosynthesis .
I set them up in a white 9 curium raft , filled with a cutting compost of 2 part grit , 1 part vermiculite . It ’s promiscuous to dampen the compost first , otherwise it ’s strong to make good holes with the dibber .
I plunge each cutting in water , then into rooting hormone pulverisation . Just the cut end needs the powder , any inordinateness was judder off .
The first cut is the deepest.
I cram them all in to one batch , give them a spritz with antifungal agent . I ’ve put them in the heated work bench as bottom heat should help with rooting , but I will necessitate to water them every yoke of twenty-four hour period to keep them moist .
I ’ll be back in a few weeks with an update on settle down .
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Two nice cuttings.
Just the cut end need the hormone powder.
Snug. As a bug. In a rug.
