With Dogwood Tree Cuttings Shorter Cuttings Work Best

A couple months ago I managed to root a dogwood tree from cuttings. Only 1 of 3 cuttings rooted but I still considered it a success. After all it was the first time I had managed to root a dogwood tree from a cutting. You would be happy to! Since then I did another experiment. These are the cuttings I took in the how to propagate dogwood video (YouTube Link) I put together. Today I’m very happy to share the results. Keep in mind this is for Cornus florida but other tree dogwoods should root similarly. Red twig or yellow twig dogwoods are in fact a lot easier than tree dogwoods to root.

I may earn a small commission if you purchase through some of the links in this post at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use and trust!

Smaller Cuttings of 3-4 nodes rooted better than a longer 5 node cutting.

Cutting Size Matters

We’ve all heard the saying “Size matters Not” but actually, it might! Sorry Yoda! The cuttings I took in this batch were different sizes. The smaller ones were all successful while the larger one failed. the smaller ones were 3-4 nodes and only 3-4 inches long. The longer cutting was 5 nodes and was about 6-7 inches long.

I believe the smaller dogwood cuttings rooted because they had less vegetation to maintain and the energy could go into the roots and keep the cutting alive at the same time. This was a very small sample size with only 4 cuttings, getting a 75% rate, but I’ll take more cuttings in the future and observe how they do.

The cuttings were taken in June and took just under 8 weeks to get to the point you see in the picture.

Dogwood Tree rooting tips

  • Take shorter 3-4 node cuttings no more than 4 inches long
  • Use Hormodin 3 rooting hormone
  • Keep under lights if possible out of direct sun
  • Root in 6-8 weeks.

These young dogwoods are now ready to be potted up and grown on, and I’m looking forward to planting them in the yard next year.

The complete how to post is here if you would like more info: How to Propagate Dogwood Trees from Cuttings.

How to Pot Up Rooted Cuttings

Once your plants have rooted they need potted up or planted. In most cases I will pot up the newly rooted cuttings to help them grow stronger and more established root systems before planting in the garden. Potting up cuttings is a very simple process…

Read More
how to propagate and grow ninebark

How to Propagate Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Ninebark (Physocarpus) is a beautiful garden shrub that grows up to around 10 ft tall in the right location. Many varieties of ninebark have been developed for gardeners including ‘Diabolo’™/’Diablo’™ and ‘Coppertina’™ and can be a great addition to add a nice copper color to…

Read More

Propagating Mums for Profit

It’s kind of an odd subject to bring up during spring but propagating mums for profit takes time. Spring is when you have to get started for fall mum sales. For the purposes of this article we are talking about the common chrysanthemum you find…

Read More

How to Propagate Pyracantha (Firethorn)

While out of town this past weekend at my in-laws home I took the opportunity to take more cuttings from their pyracantha (Pyracantha augustifolia). It is a favorite of shrub for birds due to its bright orange berries and is has an appropriately named common…

Read More
1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10

Discover more from Growing The Home Garden

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Discover more from Growing The Home Garden

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading