Rooting cuttings

Springfield, MO

I have a 15-20 year old Crimson Queen. It is the only one of 5 JMs that survived last Aprils freeze. The others were all grafted trees and I don't think the Crimson Queen was. If it was, it was a really good graft, I don't remember ever being able to see the graft when we planted it so many years ago. The others were all red weeping types, I don't remember what cultivar. One was 8-10 yrs old and was a beautifully symmetrical specimen, the others were 2 or 3 yrs old. The Crimson Queen is not as weeping as the newer trees and the color does not stay as red during the summer, but it did survive where the others didn't.

Anyway, I would like to try rooting some cuttings from this tree this year. Is there anyone out there that has been successful with JMs? I have never tried this with trees and could use some advice.

Walhalla, SC

If it was a "true" crimson queen then it was most likely grafted, although it could have been near the ground. It is quite difficult to root JMs, particularly dissectums like crimson queen. My bosses do root some easier upright JMs and some of the quite difficult conifers like cedrus deodora for wholesale nurseries, but they have said that even under prime conditions 20 percent success is good for most dissectums. I believe they use a timed misting system with bottom heat (when needed) and some pretty strong rooting hormone in most of their greenhouses.

I have seen about a thousand dissectums in my relatively short period with these trees, and I have yet to see one rooted from cuttings. Uprights and even some variegates are fairly common however.

This message was edited Apr 24, 2008 10:13 PM

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