blueberries [Archive]

kawalekm

01-24-2007, 03:16 AM

Hi BWW
I haven't propagated blueberry cuttings, but I have started cuttings from other plants. It seems overall that the best survival of cuttings starts with dormant wood that is over-wintering. That means making the cuttings in winter after natural leaf drop. I usually make cuttings about 12-15 inches long. Typically I wound the bottum 3-4 inches of the cutting with nicks of a sharp knife, and I also split the bottum 1 inch of the cutting. After moistening the wounded area and split I dip the whole area in store-bought rooting hormone (Home Depot). Wounding seems to help produce callus tissue most likely to develop into roots by the rooting hormone. After letting the cutting air dry, I plant it into soil up the top 1-2 buds of the cutting. Planting in a shady area helps increase survival, because the undeveloped root system can't get enough water in a hot sunny location. I leave my cuttings in the ground for up to a year before transplanting them to their permanant location

So far I've successfully propagated figs, pomogranite, grapes, and tallow tree by cuttings. Apples, peaches, pears, and cherry cuttings all sprouted, but died before the middle of summer. I am now experimenting with these difficult species by sprouting in hydroponics solution with rapidly rooting plants like lemon grass, and also by sprouting side by side with strong rooters like grape in narrow irrigation pipe. My idea is that natural rooting hormone excreted by the grape or lemon grass may stimulate rooting in the fruit tree cuttings.

Good luck,
Michael

bookwormom

01-24-2007, 05:58 AM

thanks. will try that. I have started new bushes of currants, gooseberries by bending a low branch to the ground, heaping a handful of dirt on it and placing a rock on top. it will make roots where it is in contact with dirt and can be cut from the motherplant once it is established. but heard this will not work for blueberries.