These are, of course, generalizations. When I am in doubt about how to handle seeds, and if my reference books don’t give me the information I need, I plant them several different ways. It is surprising how often they’ll germinate, regardless of method.
There is, of course, one inviolable rule about planting seeds of any sort—the planting medium should never dry out from the moment of planting, through germination and up to transplanting time.
Softwood Cuttings
Take the ends of this year’s growth when it is half ripe, in summer, or longer sections that can be cut into pieces with at least two buds or “eyes.” Make the cut just a little below the node. Or on slow-rooting plants, pull off the cutting with a sliver of the main stem (a “heel”) attached to the rooting end. Remove the leaves at the base, and dip the cut end in one of the hormone rooting powders if you wish. Check the formula on the label to make sure you have the correct one for that type of cutting, and follow the directions precisely. Insert cuttings in rows in the propagating box and firm the medium around the stem ends.
Almost all deciduous trees and shrubs can be propagated from summer softwood cuttings, and so can evergreens—both the needle-leaved and the broad-leaved varieties. Needle-leaved evergreens can also be produced from similar cuttings taken in late fall, but they seem to take longer to make roots. With mild bottom heat in the greenhouse, however, the process is fast enough so the cuttings are rooted before time to set them out in the nursery in the spring.
Hardwood Cuttings
When deciduous trees and shrubs have dropped their leaves, and this year’s growth has had additional ripening from a few sharp frosts, take cuttings of the ends of branches that seem fairly thick and sturdy. Cut off any immature tips, and trim the cuttings (of miniatures) to four to six inches long. Tie a dozen or so into a bundle with covered wire, or some similar tie that will neither rot nor injure the bark. Bury the bundles (some growers bury them standing, some in a horizontal position) so they are completely covered with soil in a cold frame, or use a box that can be kept where the temperature will be cold but not freezing. In spring, unbundle the cuttings and root them like any others in a propagating box, greenhouse, frame, or nursery bed.
Grafting
There are several different methods of attaching a stem or branch of one tree or shrub to the roots of another until the two parts grow together as one plant. So far, I’ve willingly left this field to the professionals, or to amateurs who are seriously interested and make a thorough study of it. I haven’t found the patience or free time for it.
Layering