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Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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Posted by
lceh 7 (
My Page) on
Mon, Apr 25, 11 at 19:29
| Now that I've gotten about half of my containers planted out, I'm thinking it's time to get some boxwood and Annabelle hydrangea cuttings going. It occurs to me that my handy-dandy WS milk jugs might be just the thing, if I park them in the shade to get the cuttings going. Has anyone done this? Will it work? I'm a novice to cuttings, but I'm so encouraged by my WS success that I'm eager to try other methods of providing cheap plants for my garden! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| I've thought of this too..have you cut the top portion of the milk jug away from the bottom part or is the hinge still attached? I would think it might work, but this time of the year, I would make larger holes around the neck of the milk jug. Why not try some cutting in the milk jugs and experiment. You do know that boxwood is a slow grower? Privet hedge grew fast for us. My dear in-laws had boxwoods lining their front walk that had to be at least 10-15 yrs. old and they were still not very big. I think Daddy did his yearly trimming when Mom gave him the instructions how to do them or that they needed trimming. |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| I have some concord grapes that have rooted just fine in a couple milk jugs. Nothing different except I cut the top portion off, and wrapped the cuttings in plastic to keep the humidity in, making sure there is still air flow. |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| I do this but I leave the tops off. Works fantastic. Just make sure they don't dry out since there's no condensation to keep the soil moist. |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| I'd leave the top on to retain humidity. I've not done boxwood or hydrangeas that way, but I have done coleus and petunias. The humidity seems critical in getting them to root. I've used 2 liter pop bottles, inside under lights. Here, the cuttings were already rooted, top taken off.
 Never tried hydrangeas that way- I just propagate them by layering in the garden where they are growing. Very easy, no work. Just remove leaves from several nodes near the ground, using an outside stem. Scratch the nodes with your finger nail to wound. Bury it in a shallow trench, leaving the leaves on terminal nodes above ground. Forget about it for several months. The buried nodes will root in place, and you can dig it up and sever from the mother plant after a few months. If you do it now, you'll have new hydrangea plants by fall with no effort. I have one ready for a friend, I'd take a picture for you if it wasn't pouring rain AGAIN! Karen |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| Well, I thought I'd give it a try and set up 10 containers with boxwood cuttings. I'm starting a parterre garden and need a few more to fill in the boxwood edging. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm going to try the hydrangeas in June. I prefer layering too, but this is on someone else's property, and while they've given me permission to take cuttings I don't want to wear out my welcome! I'll post here on my results. Thanks to all for your advice! |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| For those of you who are going to or have sown Boxwood in WS container, what type of soil would you use? what about root growth compound? Do you WS them now? and do you place the jugs outside? Do you think when it gets hot in summer, keeping them in container is going to fry it? unless you keep them in a shady area but then what about sun light? I would like to get couple boxwoods and if this works , this is going to be the simplest method of propagating plants. Let me know please. |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| I'm dipping the cuttings in rooting hormone and sticking them into dampened Pro-Mix, flipping down the jug top, and parking them outside in the shade with the cap off. I think the key is to keep them out of the sun while they're rooting. Once the roots are established you can flip open the top and gradually give them more sun. That's the theory anyway, I'll let you know if it works! |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| iceh, What is pro-mix? is that seed starting mix? How would you know if the roots have been established? let's say if roots are established by june /july, would you then plant them in garden? Will they survive the first winter? Also did you start the propagation now or you are going to start in few months? |
RE: Reusing WS containers to root cuttings?
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| Pro-Mix is just a professional grade potting mix. I'm expecting them to root in about 60 days. Then I'll move them into pots and baby them through the summer, and plant out this fall. I've added a link below to a great thread on rooting boxwood cuttings. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting boxwood cuttings
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