Zelkova from Cuttings

[cmeg1]

Had another bad batch of seed,so ordered a couple 1gallon Zelkovas’ from Brent to proceed with cuttings.Maybe for the best really.Struck 33 of them.
Not much to look at now,but zelkovas develop really quickly.
Did things a little different this time by giving light from a single T5 and also bottom heat with a thermostat set between 75-80F.
Best success I ever had with Zelkova cuttings was in pure peatmoss.100% success rate.
I like it too because really only have to water once.That may change since using heat and light now.Before I just left the propagator outside in the shade.
I enjoy this!
Thanks for looking

 

[cmeg1]

I thought these were real cool.It was made from a one year old cutting that was then air layered.So two years!
I got to try this again.Starting from scratch here.

 

[MichaelS]

Sweet! I started a few like this some years back and gave up. You are doing good work there.

 

[cmeg1]

Sweet! I started a few like this some years back and gave up. You are doing good work there.

Thanks,it’s funny.I was able to separate the layer in less than two weeks.
It is only fast like that on one year old cuttings.I tried it on a two year old cutting for bigger trunk,but the rooting was very poor and did not work.

 

[cmeg1]

More cuttings!

The stock plants had grown some more,so I wanted to take more cuttings and try a different approach.
I used Jiffy pellets.
They seem superior really.You can see all of the rooting media and be sure the heat mat isn’t drying the base of it too much.And another big bonus is that you can see when roots form without lifting the whole flat out
And also can squeeze excess water from it before you put them in the propagator.
Some ,I made quite tall as an experiment.

90% of the ones I made last week still look excellent!
They are at 18 hours of light.

 

[Timbo]

Zelkova's are one of my favorite trees, going to have to try some cuttings of mine soon!
I'm not a fan of jiffy for trees, roots circle a lot and don't go through the screen very well/ I just use straight DE in a small cup/pot.
How long did they take to root?

 

[cmeg1]

Zelkova's are one of my favorite trees, going to have to try some cuttings of mine soon!
I'm not a fan of jiffy for trees, roots circle a lot and don't go through the screen very well/ I just use straight DE in a small cup/pot.
How long did they take to root?

The jiffy pellets are at one week and the ones in peat are at two weeks.It is in my experience that zelkova root within a month with this method as long as they are slightly woody ,semi ripe.The soft growth ones always fail.
Hopefully the Jiffy’s grow roots through the screen,I seen pictures on line which is what made me think they would.
Oh well....I am planning on air layering many of them anyway to get radial roots,like from the second post above.I usually do that the following year,but I am going to see if I can do it this year.They layer in just a couple weeks.
There are 53 cuttings total and only 4 have wilted
Some of the ones at two weeks are greening up,so that tells me they are calloused up.
I am experimenting with taking much taller cuttings.They are about 8” tall.So far so good with them.If they survive ,I think they will be much more vigorous trees.
I will keep you posted.Another 2-3 weeks and they should be rooted.

 

[cmeg1]

Bigger cuttings

I think the bigger cuttings will produce taller,more vigorous cuttings from the get go.Although they all seem to catch up in the second growing season.
I am hoping the big ones will grow tall quickly so I can air-layer them this season for good roots!
Oh well,if not this season I will get them next season after they spend a Winter in the ground.

 

[cmeg1]

Roots!

I am definitely liking the Jiffy Pellets better.You can see whats’s going on with them and maintain more optimal moisture from the start.
The 20 cuttings I made 11 days ago are rooting already.I can see roots on about half of them.
While I cannot see the media on the 33 cuttings I made in pure peat almost 3 weeks ago,beings they are planted in plastic plant cells,I know they are rooted because they are all alive and some are growing.Now that they are finally at optimal moisture I will probably leave them in there until the Jiffy’s catch up and are complete.
I still say the Jiffy Pelets rooted quicker.Could be the proper moisture from the get go,since you can squeeze excess water from them in the beginning.Or it could be ph related since the Jiffy Pellets are treated for proper ph.Just a better media.
Anyhow,glad I am close to getting these Zelkova growing...Fast!
I have plans for these.

 

[MACH5]

I thought these were real cool.It was made from a one year old cutting that was then air layered.So two years!
I got to try this again.Starting from scratch here.

These are wonderful!! Great work man!

 

[cmeg1]

Potted some cuttings

Potted 18 cuttings,the ones in peat moss.Some had roots that were just berserk while others were so so.
Hopefully some grow tall.They will get air layered anyway.
Planted in a very fast draining soil.

I have 30 more Jiffy Pellets rooting in the propagator.Some are growing roots quite fast.I want to leave them in there until roots are all over the plugs.The majority of them are about 7-8” tall.I believe they will be super vigorous

 

[ConorDash]

Ok break this down for me... I’ve got a few elms and 2 need cutting back at the moment.. I could cut some and plant to grow? Tried this with pyracantha and genuinely tried quite hard and no luck.
Have done a few Acer P now and will see..
Basically I just cut off, remove the bottom leaf pair and stick in small pots. Pots have mostly compost with some DE litter mixed in too.
I put them in an open greenhouse, so it’s protected from wind and rain. I could close it up entirely to keep up humidity if I wanted..

What do you suggest for rooting some elm cuttings? They would be fresh grown this year, about size of yours maybe bit smaller. I’ve got hormone too..

 

[cmeg1]

The Super Sprouter I bought works awesome!
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Sprouter-Deluxe-Propagation-Light/dp/B06ZY5SWRX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528233462&sr=8-1&keywords=super+sprouter+deluxe+propagation+kit+w/+7"+dome+&+t5+light
The optional heat mat thermostat is awesome...if no thermostat,do not use heat mat!
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Sprout...ds=super+sprouter+digital+heat+mat+thermostat
And a simple light timer
https://www.amazon.com/Century-Plug...528233737&sr=8-3&keywords=century+light+timer
JIffy Pellets
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WLPSG...t=&hvlocphy=9007360&hvtargid=pla-314068773322
Heat mat
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Sprout...35362&sr=8-3&keywords=super+sprouter+heat+mat


Remove branches from the stock plant to accommodate an 8” cutting and IMMEDIATELY put cut end into water tub.should be slightly woody or semi- ripe at base.
Big cuttings are way better!!!! Big as can fit in the tall propogator.
Moisten the JIffy Pellets and gently squeeze excess water from them
Give them holes
Prepare harmone
Take cuttings a good 8” long,remove bottom three sets of leaves or so,cut with a very sharp,new razor blade on 45 degree angle 3/16” below a node,then moisten with water.
Dip the end into harmone,all that will be buried.
stick into moist JIffy Pellet
After you get a few done put into propagator and mist.
Keep vents closed and mist twice or more a day.
No need to water,just mist twice a day to dome walls and all.And so a little bit of bottom channels have some puddles of water.
Very high humidity is key.
GIVE 18 hours light!!!

The JIffy Pellets are the way to go!
I got crazy roots in 11 days,the roots grow out the Jiffy’s and down.
I let them go till’ there are roots everywhere.

Sorry for the shopping list,but I am having awesome results with this method!
Big cuttings are always better!
I will post mine soon,they are phenomenal.

 

[cmeg1]

@ConorDash See post above

 

[ConorDash]

Ok lol so quite a few things.
I was hoping an easier to achieve more natural method but I understand all this stuff works and helps.
Good to know and I could look in to getting that for future .
I’ve been told much simpler things before, but no success.

 

[cmeg1]

The bigger cuttings

This one was ready to go,as far as I was concerned.They’re getting air-layered anyway.
The first of the Jiffy Pellets.
Took 13 days.The color is way better on these and much bigger too,so they should pop right back into growing.I literally planted this in place of a slower,first batch one.Which I probably will be doing a lot of
There are several more that are a few days behind this one.
I am just going to make these all season

 

[theone420]

Why do you cut the leaves?

 

[cmeg1]

Why do you cut the leaves?

For big leaf cuttings,I found while they are in the propagator,the leaf will position itself much better and not sag when cut.Makes more room too to fit more in there.
Also helps to reduce moisture loss the first few days.

 

[theone420]

Ok lol so quite a few things.
I was hoping an easier to achieve more natural method but I understand all this stuff works and helps.
Good to know and I could look in to getting that for future .
I’ve been told much simpler things before, but no success.

you can get it done with nothing. I took some of my cuttings from a trim i did on my elm and just stuck them in some seed starter potting mix from miracle grow. and all 6 cuttings from 2 year old wood took just fine. the younger cuttings didnt take but i did nothing other than stick them in the potting soil. I have even started elm cuttings by sticking them in a glass of water and changing the water every other day. roots started peaking out in about 4-5 days.

The fancy stuff Isn't needed but will help get success rate up. But for best results what @cmeg1 is doing here is gonna be one of the best ways.


@cmeg1 thanks for the reply......good idea i will have to do that on my next batch

 

[ConorDash]

you can get it done with nothing. I took some of my cuttings from a trim i did on my elm and just stuck them in some seed starter potting mix from miracle grow. and all 6 cuttings from 2 year old wood took just fine. the younger cuttings didnt take but i did nothing other than stick them in the potting soil. I have even started elm cuttings by sticking them in a glass of water and changing the water every other day. roots started peaking out in about 4-5 days.
The fancy stuff Isn't needed but will help get success rate up. But for best results what @cmeg1 is doing here is gonna be one of the best ways.
@cmeg1 thanks for the reply......good idea i will have to do that on my next batch

Got some good bushy chinese elms at the moment that I need to prune, may well do that today. Ill maybe get out a tray and put some compost in it (I have potting soil and compost, unsure which would be best for this but doesn't seem like massive difference?) then just simply stick every cutting in to it. Ill remove bottom 1 or 2 pairs of leaves, make sure to bury the nodes.
Ill also plant a few in water, see how it goes.

I have a sheltered greenhouse that is half open so Ill put them on the bottom of that for some kind of shelter.

My Wisteria seedling is going well after I put a bag around it.
Cheers to you both, @cmeg1 @theone420