Pruned Birch can I just put cuttings in water?

Morph Dayton, OH(Zone 5a) Mar 13, 2003

Yesterday was so nice outside that I finally got to get into the garden for the first time this year! I had to prune a white spire birch tree and I had some decent branches that I cut off. I just put them into a bucket of water with some root starting liquid.

Do you think they will sprout roots this easy? I had heard that Birch trees & Willow trees were very easy to propogate. But, I wasn't sure if I needed to do more...

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Hibiscus Lima, OH(Zone 5a) Mar 14, 2003

I certainly wish you lots of luck. I tried everyway to start a white birch, cutting/rootone/under a jar, clear glass/water, airlayering from branch while still on the tree. I only got (one) started from 1,000's of seeds(1). It grew in the yard, unbtil we needed to move it to a better location it was about 6' tall. Had a drought that summer, lost it. I never wanted to try again, as I really wanted it to grow.

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Morph Dayton, OH(Zone 5a) Mar 14, 2003

Thanks, Hibiscus. That sounds very frustrating! We lost a bunch of new trees about six years ago when there was a drought and then heavy bug infections. We had gone to my mother's and dug these trees (bare rooted as she says). We brought them all back to Ohio and lost every single one of them!

I didn't realize that the birch trees had seeds at all. Based on your experience, I don't think I will count on my branches sprouting roots...

But, if I do have success, you're not too far away. I'd gladly offer you some :)