PROPOGATING BUDDLEIA

I have always thought of buddleia as easy to propogate. But recently I started a number of softwood cuttings in soil, and they have all failed. I have promised some to a friend, and want to get another group started properly before frost. I am thinking of tenting a large pot, and maybe using a soil fungicide. Any suggestions anyabody?

Peter

Peter, mine have been very hit and miss as of late......I have found the are very susceptibleto mold/fungus if the leaves are allowed to stay to wet, but the stem/roots seem to need a good deal of mositure while rooting. It's been quite the balancing act.
My best successes came from cuttings placed in a very shaded area, close to the drip hose.

Peter, I don't seem to have luck with these except in the spring.

Oh no, this doesnt look good Peter :( :)

Not that I can say anything, I am horrible with cuttings.
charlotte

Thanks, guys. I wrote a long note to reply a few minustes ago, but the site or my computer wouldn't let it go through. The condensed version is that I am going to try a few different methods, and use new growth to get closer to spring conditions.

Rikerbear, I was wondering if you meant that the mold /fungus problem was on the leaves. I assume so, since you also recommended very moist soil, which would promote soil-born disease.

My plan is to also use longer cuttings, and to use the tent, in the shade.

Any other ideas are very welcome.

Thanks,

Peter

Peter, yes the mold did occure on the leaves....may have simnply needed better air movement...don;t know.
I had far better luck rooting them outside...............

Okay. Forget the tent. I will just cut the hwole bush up, stick every imaginable combination, set them in the shade near the water spigot. Voila! I'll let you know.

LOL! Sounds good Peter......
Look forward to hearing about your progress and your successes. :-)

I would wait until the spring and do softwood cuttings. I get about 99% germ that way.

Your other option is to take hardwood cuttings, dig a trench, stick them all in and water. Leave them there until spring. They should root and get leaf buds about normal time for your other bushes.

When you use a trench do you stick them in vertically or horizonally? Do you use rooting hormone?

You would want to put them in standing up but mostly underground. I think generally cuttings are layed down more for storage than rooting, but that may also depend on who is doing the rooting and what they are rooting. :) As far as rooting hormone, I would go light if at all. Often too much can cause rotting and you would be applying it at a time they are going dormant.

"....stick them all in..." "...standing up but mostly underground..."

How long are your hardwood cuttings? What percentage are below ground?

I have one lone 'Nano' and would love to have more.

Well, the deed was already done today. I did intuitively switch toward larger cuttings with half buried. Since mine are still putting out new flowering stems, I am hoping that they will root well. I recalled that I received some pomegranate cuttings of dormant wood in the winter, from a kind gent at the USDA. Potted those half buried, and about 3/4 of them leafed out in the spring. So hopefullly these, although not the substantial wood of the pomegranates, may do the same. Maybe I will cut some woodier stems tomorrow and try the trench! Thanks for all the input.

Peter

Generally you want to use cuttings 6-8 inches long with several leaf nodes. I never put less than 2-3 leaf nodes beneath the soil. I would say for this you would want a full 4-6 inches beneath the soil so I would go with 10 inch cuttings.

Sounds good. I'll do it. Rather than a trench, I will probably just use gallon pots. Same effect I would think.

Thanks, Badseed. I appreciate you letting me ask all my questions. Hopefully I will have as good of luck as you've had.

The moon will be good for propagation starting next Thursday. Since our seasons are so long here I think I'll give some cuttings a try then.

I checked the cuttings I took yesterday - 6" cuttings half buried - this a.m., and they were standing up bravely, in the moist cool shade near the drippy water faucet. I may take some bigger cuttings today, but these look so good, I am not worried. Now on to the stonecrop!

Peter

Well done Peter! Best of luck with your cuttings :-)

smile.