On Wed, 16 May 2018 13:16:49 +0100, Chris Hogg <
m...@privacy.net> wrote:
>On Wed, 16 May 2018 12:00:27 +0100, Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp
>When young shoots of shrubs etc first appear and grow, they are very
>soft and green. Later in their existence they become woody and hard.
>Half-ripe or semi-ripe growth is the transition stage between soft and
>hard. It's not a length thing, but a texture thing. Soft growth is
>just that: soft and floppy. Half-ripe or semi-ripe growth isn't
>floppy, but neither is it rigid and brittle like hardwood.
>
>Most shrubs put on growth during the spring and summer, but stop
>growing towards the end of summer and the growth starts to harden up
>in late summer through into autumn. By the end of the autumn they are
>usually fairly hard, in preparation for the rigors of winter (cold,
>frosty conditions, low light levels, short days, wind, etc).
>
>While in that transition stage, they are still capable of making roots
>fairly quickly, say a few weeks, and it's usually the best time to
>take cuttings. Although soft cuttings can be taken for many shrubs
>earlier in the year, IMO they are more prone to failing due disease.
>Hardwood cuttings can also be taken, but they take a lot longer to
>root, often several months over the winter period suffering the slings
>and arrows of outrageous fortune all the while.
>
>For many plants, a success rate of 5-10% isn't too bad for an amateur.
>Hopeless for a professional of course who relies on a high rate of
>success for his living. It rather depends on how many plants you want
>to end up with. When I take cuttings, I always take far more than I
>need. If they all root, they get given away to family and friends, but
>as that situation seldom arises, ending up with two or three is
>probably all I wanted anyway.
Many thanks, that was a very comprehensive explanation. It also
suggests that what I thought were random sproutings of roots over
time, were actually just a difference due to the time of planting and
hardness.
A final query, I can't help but notice the cuttings with rooting
compound have an almost zero success rate. To be honest I didn't
follow the instructions to the letter and wipe the excess off, I just
planted them with what was left sticking to the cutting after dipping.
My none coated cuttings seem to have a better survival rate.
Is rooting compound worth the effort, or should I give it a miss?
AB