Boxwood Hardwood Cuttings

Only cut healthy stems with no insect damage or discoloration.

Boxwood hardwood cuttings.

Boxwood cuttings root best. Strip the bottom half of the cutting of its leaves. Start boxwood cuttings in midsummer after the spring growth has hardened and produced mature leaves. I always plant 5 7 stems together just to achieve an instant shrub effect.

I ve discussed the basic theory of how plants can be propagated from cuttings in the article propagating softwood cuttings so i ll go straight. Remove the lower inch of leaves. The cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches in length. When cutting boxwood buxus spp for propagation the success you are likely to have from a particular piece of stem depends not so much on its dimensions as its age.

Hardwood cuttings provide an easy and reliable method of propagating a range of deciduous climbers trees and shrubs and as bonus they are taken from mid autumn until late winter when more time is usually available to the gardener. Cut 3 to 4 inch 7 5 to 10 cm tips of new growth with a sharp knife. They can take several months to produce roots so leave them for a year before lifting and potting up or transplanting. The wood is firm and does not bend easily.

Forsythia cornus and willow in autumn and winter. It should be noted that the hardwood cuttings take longer to root. Taking boxwood cuttings in midsummer catches the stems at just the right stage to give you the best chance of success. Place boxwood slips into potting medium using a dauber of some sort i used a sharpie back end to create a slot to place your cutting into your pot of soil i used my diy potting soil by creating a hole in the soil you prevent the rooting hormone from getting removed as you slide in the stem.

Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter during dormancy when all leaves have fallen. I place several cuttings into the pot. How i propagate boxwood. You can remove the desired cutting by gently snapping it off using your thumb and forefinger a sterile knife or a pair of gardening shears whichever way you prefer.

Pruning shears or scissors pinch the stems and make it hard for them to take up water later on. Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody perennials e g. In spring or early fall if you live in a warm climate take tip cuttings 6 inches in length.