It doesn't always have to be the tree nursery or the plant dispatcher, which will help you to create hedge plants or beautiful solitary shrubs. Put on your hands and scissors, open your own nursery for the young trees. Now is the time, to propagate deciduous shrubs with sticks, for example mock oranges (Photo), Willows or dogwoods with variegated bark. Choose young from your dream shrub, but already lignified shoots and cut off the tip and end. Cut out the good center piece 20 cm long sticks: For the bottom end, place sharp scissors or a knife just below a leaf knot and cut through the wood horizontally. The cut for the tip, on the other hand, is made at an angle, slightly above one eye.
Over the winter, beat the wood into damp, soil interspersed with a lot of sand. No matter, whether they use a box or a pot: The top quarter of the cutting must remain uncovered. The wood must neither rot nor dry out, therefore, cool storage in the basement or protected at home is recommended. Check the humidity regularly, until the offspring move outdoors in March.
The cut at the top end should be at an angle and slightly above the bud (b). at (a) was cut too close to the bud and too diagonally, at (c) points the skew in the wrong direction; in addition, the cut is unclean.
Sticks like it wet, but not wet. In a box with potting soil, a layer of expanded clay on the bottom ensures good drainage. Small amounts of cuttings go into pots, which are driven into the ground or placed in the cold frame.