A springtime flowering favorite of mine is the Yoshino cherry tree (Prunus x yedoensis). I've written about these trees several times in the past and I know I'll write about it again as it is such a valuable tree in the landscape for it's ornamental beauty. I've never been able to root this tree...until now!
A couple months ago I took seven hardwood cuttings from a Yoshino Cherry tree in my parent's yard. The cuttings were about 8 inches long and were in the first year of growth. The recently hardened off cuttings were treated with rooting hormone then placed into a pot of sand and kept watered in a humid environment (the bathroom! I'm really glad my wife tolerates my hobby so well!). I'm sure a plastic bag covering the pot would allow for the necessary humidity. All of the cuttings are still alive but as of yet only one has rooted. The roots are just tiny little nubs and need to grow a little longer (to a 1/2 inch) before being transplanted into a pot with potting soil. Hopefully I'll be able to do that within the next week.
A Few Random Observations:
1. The roots are forming along the stem and not at a node.
2. Most sources said to propagate Yoshino cherry using greenwood cuttings in the spring. Hardwood cuttings are generally more reliable in most plants but take more time to form roots.
3. This is very similar to the method of propagation I used for Purple Leaf Plums. That's not surprising since they are both members of the Genus Prunus.
4. Although I didn't keep track of the time it took for these roots to begin forming I'm estimating that it took about 8 weeks.
5. The first cutting to root was made from the tip end of a branch with a very small diameter, perhaps as small as 1/8-1/4 of an inch.
6. Rooting a Yoshino Cherry is very cool!
Read More about Propagating Plants for your Home Landscape and Garden.Labels: plant propagation, trees
