Softwood, hardwood and semi-hardwood cuttings | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Josh explains the difference between soft, semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings, and which to use – depending on the type of plant and time of year.
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Softwood

An example is the fresh new growth of Rosemary - the tips are flexible, sappy and green in spring. These usually ‘take’ (start growing new roots) very quickly. They are also easy to stress and die so it’s a good idea to dip the freshly cut ends into rooting hormone first, trim off the lower leaves, use a dibber to make a hole in a pot of good-quality seed-raising mix and pop it in. You will need to keep the cutting moist and humid, so create a mini greenhouse by covering the pot with a plastic bag or plastic bottle with the end cut off.

Semi-hardwood

An example is Bay leaf taken in late summer or early autumn - the tips are still flexible but the lower section of a 30cm cutting is starting to darken from green to brown. These are hardier but don’t strike as quickly. Remove the tips and some side leaves (or cut larger leaves in half), use some rooting hormone and place in seed-raising mix as before. These still need to be kept moist and humid but are less likely to ‘fall over’ and die.

Hardwood

Josh has a large 60cm cutting from a mulberry - the tip is soft and fleshy, there is wood firming up below, but at the base the one-year-old wood bark is now fully brown and much sturdier and thicker; this is the hardwood. These cuttings are often taken in winter when deciduous trees have lost their leaves; they will reshoot new leaves in spring. At other times of the year, trim the leaves off and plant out in seed raising mix. These can be slower to take but are fairly hardy. It’s a great way to take cuttings of plants such as grapevines, figs and pomegranates.


Featured plants:

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Bay Leaf (Laurus nobilis)

Mulberry (Morus cv.)




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