Boxwood Hardwood Cuttings

When cutting boxwood buxus spp for propagation the success you are likely to have from a particular piece of stem depends not so much on its dimensions as its age.

Boxwood hardwood cuttings.

They can take several months to produce roots so leave them for a year before lifting and potting up or transplanting. Strip the bottom half of the cutting of its leaves. Only cut healthy stems with no insect damage or discoloration. You can remove the desired cutting by gently snapping it off using your thumb and forefinger a sterile knife or a pair of gardening shears whichever way you prefer.

How i propagate boxwood. Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter during dormancy when all leaves have fallen. Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody perennials e g. Some evergreen plants hollies for example can also be taken at the same time of year as other hardwood cuttings.

Cut 3 to 4 inch 7 5 to 10 cm tips of new growth with a sharp knife. Wait until after the flowers have faded since actively blooming cuttings are slower to root and. In spring or early fall if you live in a warm climate take tip cuttings 6 inches in length. The wood is firm and does not bend easily.

Remove the lower inch of leaves. I always plant 5 7 stems together just to achieve an instant shrub effect. Pruning shears or scissors pinch the stems and make it hard for them to take up water later on. The cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches in length.

Boxwood cuttings root best. I ve discussed the basic theory of how plants can be propagated from cuttings in the article propagating softwood cuttings so i ll go straight. Place boxwood slips into potting medium using a dauber of some sort i used a sharpie back end to create a slot to place your cutting into your pot of soil i used my diy potting soil by creating a hole in the soil you prevent the rooting hormone from getting removed as you slide in the stem. Taking boxwood cuttings in midsummer catches the stems at just the right stage to give you the best chance of success.

Start boxwood cuttings in midsummer after the spring growth has hardened and produced mature leaves. Hardwood cuttings provide an easy and reliable method of propagating a range of deciduous climbers trees and shrubs and as bonus they are taken from mid autumn until late winter when more time is usually available to the gardener. It should be noted that the hardwood cuttings take longer to root.