Propagating a shrub - help needed...

[SuzanneCB]

Hello

I am trying to propagate an Osmanthus Heterophyllus and my web research indicated that I could do this with "soft wood cuttings."

My assumption was that if I cut some branches off the existing well-established [big] shrub, I could stick them in some nice potting soil, keep the dirt moist-ish, and they would magically take root and grow.

I have now killed my second set of branches-in-dirt, which ranged from young green branches to branches that looked older (thicker, brown, "soft-wood" stems).

Apparently I am using the wrong fairy dust or not pronouncing the incantation correctly. Is this how I'm supposed to do this, or should I be putting them in water until they sprout roots, or something else I haven't thought of...

Please advise -- I am about to murder a third batch of branches.

Thanks
Suzanne

[Ralph Walton]

Try IBA rooting hormone and mist. You may wish to try a poly tent or at least some form of wind baffle if a complete tent becomes too hot. For outside misting we do 10 to 30 seconds every 30 minutes, but that depends on your setup and water delivery. It can become an uneasy balance between drying out and getting molds and mildew.

Ralph

[Junglekeeper]

According to notes I took while researching Osmanthus, soft/semi-ripe cuttings should be used in summer and hardwood in winter. Expect roots to develop in 30-100 days with 50-75% success rate.

I've had success rooting different varieties of O. fragrans indoors using semi-hardwood and the appropriate rooting powder. Try using a 'starter mix' of peat and vermiculite instead of regular soil for the rooting medium. You could also add in some perlite. Place the cuttings on a Jiffy tray with a plastic dome and mist them every so often to maintain the humidity. Under these conditions the cuttings do not need to be watered until they root.