Helpful Suggestions for Commercial Propagation of Woody Plant Stem Cuttings

Ask a producer how to root a woody landscape plant and most likely the answer will focus on the root-inducing substances or materials used to promote rooting. This is because numerous evaluations and tremendous efforts have been devoted to finding the right combination of substances that induce roots rapidly. However, after achieving the goal of finding the ideal substance(s), formulation(s), the right amount, and the best application methods for rapid rooting with large numbers of vigorous roots, there is the tendency to become complacent with many of the other details for propagating cuttings. These other details are just as important as finding the ideal root-inducing substance. So as a reminder, provided below are details that are very important for successful propagation. Some of the details might be altered based on experience with particular species or cultivars and the environment (structure, moisture, etc.) in which cuttings are rooted.