Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

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BackWoodsHunter
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Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:47 pm

I started back working today, while at school I work with a guy landscaping in fall and spring and today we got back at it and one of the first things we did was cut on some red twig dogwoods. I have been reading about growing dogwoods from cuttings. I really just breezed through some of the readings and am not sure if I went about this right at all. I am pretty certain you should take cuttings in late summer or fall but like I said not sure. I am a little worried because the dogwoods are still dormant here in central wi that there won't be any life in my cuttings. After leaving work I headed over to the local nursery for 6 bucks I had a planting tray and a packet of "ROOTONE" which is a hormone you dip the cutting in to stimulate root growth. I filled my tray with potting soil, I made my small cuttings, I believe they are smaller than what is suggested, not sure. I dipped half of them right into the hormone and the other half I got wet then dipped in the hormone. I planted in the soil and moistened it slightly. The cuttings are to remain in the shade for 3-5 weeks and they should ideally develop roots. Then I will go to pots and let them grow all summer and plant in fall when they go dormant. Not sure how these guys will hold up on our northern WI hunting property but they may be able to fend off the cold and stress of winter tucked in a low area in the understory somewhere. Here is where I am thus far:
(All comments, suggestions and advice are welcome)

THE SUPPLIES
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ROOT GROWTH HORMONE
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NO HORMONE VS HORMONE (the one on the right is what it looks like after its dipped- you don't need to stick it into the hormone so far but I got a little carried away)
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THE FINISHED PRODUCT (the coffee can has water in it and larger cuttings just soaking, I am going to see if they will sprout roots in water just like corkscrew willow, if I get bigger pots and more soil I will plant them this week yet otherwise I will let them soak and see if anything happens)
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MY CUTTINGS IN A TRAY (only did a couple as this is experimental I think it would be more successful to harvest cuttings with leaves that are photosynthesizing and producing nutrients they may push out roots faster)
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:10 pm

Your right about it not being the ideal time of year, but you never know. Dogwoods are VERY easy to root. Some guy's just shove 3' branches 2' into the mud with no hormone and get quite a few to take. HOWEVER, your cuttings are to long. There should only be a 2-3 buds above the soil. It also helps to wound them.

Check this site out. You have to read through the guy's sales pitch, but if you read through it all you should pick up quite a bit of info that will help you. I think you will like it.

http://www.freeplants.com/
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:56 am

Great thanks man! I did some more reading AFTER i started the project and saw the same thing that they don't need to be this long. They'd work if I plugged them right into the ground which is what I am going to do with the bigger stems I have in the coffee can soaking in water.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:37 am

BackWoodsHunter wrote:Great thanks man! I did some more reading AFTER i started the project and saw the same thing that they don't need to be this long. They'd work if I plugged them right into the ground which is what I am going to do with the bigger stems I have in the coffee can soaking in water.

Did you use rooting hormone in the on the coffe can cuttings? Also, could keep one or two in the coffe can just to see if they take root. I am intrested in trying this too. I'l keep an eye on this post. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:50 am

The ones in the coffee can have no hormone but all the cut ends are in about an inch of standing water. They SHOULD sprout roots in the water but they won't for sure. I did not put rooting hormone on them because it would have just washed off. I will try to get them in the ground next friday. When I do that I will remove them from the water and dip in the hormone then stick them straight in the ground. They should take root but we'll see I will post my results. Right now they are in a dark cool corner in the garage.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:59 am

Just an update for those following:

I've been directed by my new friend, John, at BIG ROCK TREES (http://www.bigrocktrees.com/ ) to place the cuttings in the sun. The advice from the rooting hormone package said to place in shade to establish roots but that is on cuttings that are "non-dormant" so I am in the clear to get these out in the sun. The cuttings in standing water are not the best option, which I knew, but I didn't know what else to do. He advised removing them from water, wrapping in plastic and storing in a spot as close to 30 degrees as possible until I can get them planted which I need to try to do asap. Also adding rooting hormone when planting is a good plan on the bigger cuttings which is what he advised.

I worked out a deal with him and he has me scheduled to receive some cuttings on May 9th as well which I will get in the ground that following weekend, unfortunately it means I can't take up magicman on his offer to chase gobblers in the 5th period :cry: Can't have it all I guess.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby kenn1320 » Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:53 am

Great topic thanks for sharing this. So are these hard or soft wood? Is this the brush that grows in the open swamp areas? What conditions/environment will you be planting these in? What is the expected growth rate?
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:44 pm

kenn1320 wrote:Great topic thanks for sharing this. So are these hard or soft wood? Is this the brush that grows in the open swamp areas? What conditions/environment will you be planting these in? What is the expected growth rate?



I can't answer what the expected growth rate is because I really don't know. I suppose they would be considered a softwood, they grow in a shrub like form and they grow thick in a lot of swamps and lowland areas. They seem to adapt quite nicely. I've spent the last 3yrs working in landscaping while going to school and I've seen these red dogwood shrubs/bushes planted as ornamental plantings in residential and urban settings where they grow just fine. Ideally I will plant these in a clearing in a sheltered area in the understory of the forest on our family farm. They should take root and grow pretty well, they should sucker/spread a little bit too as well as push up many new shoots growing sort of a thicket. The biggest issue in our area is deer density relative to food though. We don't have many deer but we have even less food available to them so I am sure some of these will fall victim to the deer. I know recently in a few marshes I have scouted I found areas that appeared to be bedding or staging areas and all the tender young dogwood shoots were browsed down to about 2-3ft off the ground. We will see what happens I guess.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby wmihunter » Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:08 pm

SOUNDS LIKE AN INTERESTING PROJECT-LET US KNOW HOW IT WORKS!
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:53 am

My computer crashed over a week ago, haven't been online much and sadly I may have lost all my pics and videos saved on it! :( However, I have been taking new ones and storing them on my camera. The last report is that all my apple sprouts are growing and are a about 2inches tall now. Didn't help that after I planted them we had a week of no sunlight. Over half of my dogwood cuttings are starting to leaf which is leading me to believe they may be taking root and that keeping their soil moist is helping them grow. I pulled one cutting and it had no roots but it was also a cutting that does not appear to be growing as well as the rest so that information is not too valuable.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:19 am

Nice update, glad to see ya back.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby HuntsMidwest » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:13 am

I went out about 3 weeks ago, pulled and clipped about 300 dogwoods, yellow willow, and poplar trees. Most were clippings but I did pull some with roots. I planted them in my pasture in the wet spots. It took a total of about 4-5 hours to clip them and plant them all. Every plant is budding now, I will still have to see if they root. I plan on getting 3 fawns this spring to put in there. I thought it would be a fun hobby, and a good experience for the boys.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:50 pm

I hope they take off for you 8-)

I stuck a bunch of bigger cuttings in the ground last weekend as well as planted some trees. I hope the rains help them off to a good start.

The cuttings in the trays on my porch are starting to leaf out. Thank you mother nature for giving us 4 days of overcast and gloomy weather for every one day of nice weather. I could use more sunlight for my plants.

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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Sat May 21, 2011 6:24 pm

Scrapped the dogwood project. They were all leafed out and doing well but I had to move out of my college house and back to my parents for the summer and it was just a PITA to move them. I pulled them all and none had rooted but all of them had big leaves. I think it would have been a matter of time and they would have taken root. I have a bunch of cuttings coming from John at BIG ROCK TREES out of Chippewa, WI in the upcoming weeks I hope to get in the ground and will definitely report how it goes.
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Re: Another Project- Red Dogwood from Cuttings

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Mon May 23, 2011 12:59 am

In spring of 2009 I dug up about 100 smaller willow plants roots and all that were growing into a CRP PLOT.I transplanted some of them in a fenceline to thicken it up and some on hillside.The plants that had good moisture look great the ones with little moisture supply look sickly.Just somethoing to consider when replanting yours.


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