Cuttings, Stakes & Scions Spring '24

**Note** Hardwood cuttings and grafting scions are pieces of dormant stem wood collected from a tree or shrub and used for vegetative propagation. CUTTINGS ARE NOT YET VIABLE PLANTS, but they can be rooted in medium (potting mix, nursery bed soil, etc.) or grafted onto rootstocks. With proper care and technique they will grow into genetically identical plants to the parent from which they were harvested.

We harvest dormant hardwood cuttings in late-winter (February/March) and store them in the cooler until your shipping/pickup date. The ordering deadline for hardwood cuttings is May 31 or while supplies last.

Shipping note: If shipping is your selected delivery method and your order does not contain any bare root stock, be sure to select the “Cuttings/Scions ONLY” option at checkout to save on shipping & handling charges.

Terminology: The term “cutting” is rather vague, varies by region and application, and can encompass a wide range of different sizes and growth stages of plant stems, leaves and roots. To avoid confusion, here is how we apply the following terms in our nursery:

• Hardwood Cuttings: ( Length = 8 - 10” ; Diameter = 1/8 - 1” ) Dormant stem wood used primarily for nursery propagation. Typically direct planted into a nursery bed or potting mix with ~80% of the stem below the soil and 20% above. Due to their smaller size, they need extra care & attention during years 1-2 and often do not fare well when direct planted into areas with heavy weed pressure or that can’t be watered during dry spells until they are well established.

• Scions (aka budwood): ( Length = 8 - 10” ; Diameter = 1/16 - 1/2” ) A special kind of hardwood cutting, typically collected from a young branch of a cultivar or other plant with desirable attributes, that is grafted onto a rootstock rather than planted.

• Stakes: ( Length = 2 - 3’ ; Diameter = 1/2 - 2” ) Thicker cuttings typically used for restoration applications or when direct planting into less hospitable conditions such as thick sod or clay. Can be planted with a mallet under the right soil conditions, though a pilot hole can be helpful provided there is no air space around the stem after planting. Like smaller cuttings, they benefit from being planted with more stem below ground vs above. The deeper they are planted, the more likely they are to survive dry spells during establishment.

• Poles: ( Length = 5 - 9’ ; Diameter = 2 - 3” ) These are the largest type of cuttings and can be planted with an auger or t-post pounder. Ideally, the bottom 1/3 (or more) of the pole is planted below ground. One of the primary advantages of planting poles is that they can significantly reduce the amount of time until livestock can be reintroduced into a paddock vs planting a smaller cutting or bare root tree. We do not currently have any poles available for sale as our parent plants mature. But stay tuned and send us a note if you’d like to be notified when we do!

A special note re: mulberry & peach - Some genera (e.g. Morus & Prunus) are typically grafted but are also known to form their own roots when direct planted as hardwood cuttings. However, these species do not root as readily as willow, elderberry or currant and often require the use of a heat mat or propagation chamber. Furthermore, success is variable depending on variety. We are actively exploring the potential for propagating the varieties we offer from cuttings, however for now these species are listed under the “Scions” heading below.

For variety descriptions, please head to the individual species page. If we have not yet added a variety description, a quick web search should yield some helpful info.

Cuttings

Elderberry

• Akiva Elder

• BOB’s Resident Elder

• Owl Brook #1 & #2

• York

Willow

• Americana (S. americana)

• BOB’s Pussy (S. discolor) ** Stakes Also Available **

• USDA Giant Pussy (S. discolor)

• Vigorella S25 (S. eriocephala)

• Wooly Sandbar (S. eriocephala x interior)

• Prairie (S. humilis)

• Sandbar (S. interior)

• Shining (S. lucida)

• SX 64 (S. miyabeana)

• Noblewood Black (S. nigra)

• BOB’s Meadow (S. petiolaris) ** Stakes Also Available **

• Silky (S. sericea)

Scions

Apple

• Early Pink Lady

• Hartland VT Russet

• Redfree

• Spigold

Black Locust

• Purple Rose - A beautiful selection from Buzz Ferver of Perfect Circle Farm

Mulberry

• Brooke

• Illinois Everbearing

• Silk Hope

• Wellington

Peach

• Contender

• Siberian C

Plum

• Bounty

• La Crescent