Will my privet cuttings make it?

Davesnave

Question already answered, but with hardy stuff I've always used a shaded frame or deep bed with lots of gritty compost and just let the shrub cuttings propagate themselves, especially from autumn to spring. No need for rooting hormone, but rather than pay for it, young willow stems chopped-up and steeped in water are said to work extra well.

The more wild form of privet is good for wildlife, but so are many other shrubs. I find it suckers a little too easily, so I'd not need to do cuttings of that!

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/wild-privet

gamston

when i trim my privet hedge i put cuttings into pots of water and let them root well then into pots of compost which i keep in the greenhouse for first winter then plant out in spring, got 30 pots planted with 2/3 cuttings and lots more still in the water pot stage
got a long side i need to fill up gaps

Farway

Katiehound said:

I find that if I put several evergreen cuttings round/near the edge of a clay pot in the autumn several will root- I don't bother with rooting hormone. Another thing that sometimes seems to aid growth- don't ask me why!- is a small plant already thriving- even a weed! Put the pots in a sheltered spot and ... wait.
Privet? hate the stuff!!!

my bold, I wonder if that could be linked to mycorrhizal fungus from other plant helping in some way?

I've never used mycorrhizal fungus but it does seem to be recommended on gardening programmes & magazines everywhere these days.

Which may be just lazy journalism hopping on a bandwagon & not personal trials of course

Davesnave

Farway said:

Katiehound said:

I find that if I put several evergreen cuttings round/near the edge of a clay pot in the autumn several will root- I don't bother with rooting hormone. Another thing that sometimes seems to aid growth- don't ask me why!- is a small plant already thriving- even a weed! Put the pots in a sheltered spot and ... wait.
Privet? hate the stuff!!!

my bold, I wonder if that could be linked to mycorrhizal fungus from other plant helping in some way?

I've never used mycorrhizal fungus but it does seem to be recommended on gardening programmes & magazines everywhere these days.

Which may be just lazy journalism hopping on a bandwagon & not personal trials of course

I trialled it; ran out half way down our beech hedge. Made not a scrap of difference.

I learned something though: don't incorporate rotted manure in your planting trench, because the worms will soon turn it into a mole motorway!

twopenny

Do you break the 'cuttings' off where a young shoot joins a branch? The wood at the end should be just hardening where it joins a bigger branch. It comes away with a bulge or flat bit  at the end called a heel.

They are better for rooting than trimmings from the hedge.

My grandmother was totally embarrassing doing this whenever we came across a plant she fancied end of summer (pre garden centres). Despite all the technical advice on gardening programmes they went in her hand bag for the rest of the walk and were put in water until the next day when she planted them out. Worked almost every time.