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Post by seanmckinney on Jul 20, 2008 20:05:32 GMT 1
One of the back hedges hasnt been cut in a couple of years and I started today, I'm cutting it down by about 3 - 4 ft. Around the garden there are some bits of hedge that could do to be repaired and I am thinking of cuttings from this back hedge. It would be nice if I could use the actual hedge cuttings "as is" but I think my mum said that literal cuttings aren't the best and that it is better to pull off the side shoots/branches with a "heel" and use those 'pullings' rather than "cuttings". Was she correct? I also seem to remember that it is best to strip off most of, or all of, the leaves. Is that correct?
Assuming all the above is correct I would dip the heels in rooting compound and then 'plant' them in damp sand and tranplant the survivours later, would that be about right?
Ta
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Post by Sweetleaf on Jul 20, 2008 22:20:59 GMT 1
One of the back hedges hasnt been cut in a couple of years and I started today, I'm cutting it down by about 3 - 4 ft. Around the garden there are some bits of hedge that could do to be repaired and I am thinking of cuttings from this back hedge. It would be nice if I could use the actual hedge cuttings "as is" but I think my mum said that literal cuttings aren't the best and that it is better to pull off the side shoots/branches with a "heel" and use those 'pullings' rather than "cuttings". Was she correct? I also seem to remember that it is best to strip off most of, or all of, the leaves. Is that correct? Assuming all the above is correct I would dip the heels in rooting compound and then 'plant' them in damp sand and tranplant the survivours later, would that be about right? Ta I reckon you can use both types of cutting, better off rooting them around the edges of pots, though.... half a dozen to a pot if its big enough, in a mix of compost and sharp sand and putting them in a place where they wont be baked, with a plastic bag over the pot. Ive never had to use rooting hormone on privet, , it seems not to need it. You are right about stripping leaves, but just remove the lower ones, a six inch cutting is best buried halfway up the stem. Three inches of it under, three above soil. The usual rule applies.... if you want ten plants, take fifty cuttings ;D |
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Post by seanmckinney on Jul 21, 2008 14:04:02 GMT 1
So you reckon I could use the 4ft 'shoots' which would be great.  Oddly there are no pots as such here, I'll have a look in B&Q. By "sharp sand" do you mean coarse sand? I was wondering what I could plant them in, my dad used to use a "belfast sink" full of sand but that is full at the minute with box and willow. I remembered there is an old tin bath somewhere in the 'jungle' and I could embed the pots in sand/soil/compost in that as it would act as a moisture resevoir. Rooting compound wouldnt detrimental, would it? Another idea has just popped into my head, I have several water barrels about the place and if I filled one with cut down nettles and then stood some privet 'cuttings' in that do you think it would act as liquid fertiliser and a growing medium? |
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Post by Sleepy on Jul 21, 2008 14:08:34 GMT 1
Yes Sean, coarse sand - but a washed coarse sand.
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