Save money and multiply your favorite heirloom plants for your yard and to give to friends — hardwood cutting techniques are simple and inexpensive to do at home, once you’re familiar with the procedures. Ty Ryen, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry Service Forester and Certified Arborist, compiled a list of recommended resources:
Books (these are Amazon affiliate links, so the CFC receives a small commission if they lead to purchases – at no additional cost to you):
- Secrets of Plant Propagation: Starting Your Own Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits, Berries, Shrubs, Trees, and Houseplants, by Lewis Hill
- Plant Propagation A to Z: Growing Plants for Free, by Geoff Bryant
- Plant Propagator’s Bible: A Step-by-Step Guide to Propagating Every Plant in Your Garden, by Miranda Smith
- RHS Propagating Plants, by Alan R. Toogood
- The Complete Book of Plant Propagation, by Graham Clarke & Alan R. Toogood
- The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture, 2d Edition, by Charles W. Heuser and Michael Dirr
- Making More Plants: The Science, Art, and Joy of Propagation, by Kenneth Druse
Online Resources:
- Penn State Extension –https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/chester/how-to-gardening-brochures/propagating-by-cutting-or-layering
- University of Maine – https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/manual/propagation/plant-propagation/
Supplies: You can usually use things you have on hand – just disinfect all potting vessels (pots, nursery flats, etc) with hot water and dish soap, or a 10% bleach solution, to protect cuttings & seedlings from disease. Make sure your pruners are very sharp, and disinfect these as well between cuttings – the ARS, HP-130DX 7-Inch Ideal Light Pruner is excellent, and should be about $30. The CFC also uses the 7″ ARS HP-VS7XZ Heavy-Duty Hand Pruner, but this is likely overkill for propagation cutting. Buy or mix a high-quality planting medium, ideally also sterile. >> Click this link for a PDF listing recipes for recommended soil and soilless mixes for seedlings and cuttings <<
We’re sorry to have had to cancel the March 2020 propagation seminar in Cook Forest, but are hoping to reschedule for the autumn, when conditions are optimal for propagation success. If you have questions, please contact Ty Ryen, Service Forester for Forest & Venango Counties, at 814-677-8076, or (omit the spaces in the email address): tryen @ pa.gov