I’m about to prune my blueberry bushes after the fruiting. The pruning is long overdue. I’m going to have quite a big clippings, various kinds of woods.
I’ve not tried rooting blueberry cuttings. Here I just wonder if it is possible to root them. I think nurseries root green cuttings for mass propagation?
The ones I have now:
Duke, small berry, but heavy bearing. My earliest and longest bearing
O’Neal, large berry, excellent flavor. One of the earliest bushes.
BlueRay, large berry, excellent flavor. Early to mid season.
BlueJay and Elliott are somehow late. By that time, our season got hot and they do not yield good crop. Berries are small.
Not sure if I can root dormant cuttings just like fig and grape cuttings.
Other varieties I have. They are somehow neglected and not bearing:
Jubilee
Lemonade
Jersey
Hardyblue
Brigita
Northland
Misty
Darrow
Apparently softwood cuttings are easier, but doesn’t mean dormant won’t work.
As with so many things, getting them to root is easier than getting them to the size to plant in the field!
There are two “sure” ways to root them,depending on the way it’s done and timing.
During the Summer,cuttings should be somewhat hardened,not really bendy,nor like a stiff stick.They should bend a little and snap in two with a little more pressure.These are cut into short lengths,with a diagonal cut at the bottom end and placed in a peat/perlite mixture.Also,the top one or two leaves are left on the cuttings.
The other time to take cuttings,is late Winter/early Spring.This is when I usually prune my Blueberry plants for shape and remove crossing branches etc.At this time,they are cut into pieces,about 6-8 inches,with a diagonal cut at the rooting end and stored in baggies of damp peat moss,put inside a refrigerator,until temperatures rise,come Springtime.Then they can be stuck in a peat/perlite mix.
Whatever method is used,they need their leaves to be kept moist,til roots develop.I use a misting system(Mist-a-Matic/Electronic Leaf)or by fog.
I’ve tried putting them into containers,with some kind of dome or plastic wrap,to increase humidity and hand misting,with limited results.bb
I tried a few cuttings back in late June (this years growth)… nothing took. I’ve read that dormant cuttings might be a better route to try. I’ve also got a few growing from seed.
I think I’ve seen a couple sucker branches that I plan to dig. Better during dormant season?
Like Bradybb said, for green cuttings, we probably need a real mist system, not just covered. It may need higher humidity.
I’m going to save some pruning to dormant season and try some dormant cuttings. Some of the large branches should be cut and renewed. The plants may get stunned if I cut off the branches now.
I covered my with glass jars/kept moist and dipped them in growth hormone…nothing. There must be a secret. I use the same system to start krymsk and i get them to push roots…although even then its maybe 50% or less take.
A fog type propagator is fairly easy to build and inexpensive,with foggers on Ebay,with the transformer,for about $10.Here’s a link to a video the led me to making mine.bb
I’ve had good luck taking spring dormant cuttings and stick them in the ground a few feet from the mother plant. just water when dry out and most leafed out and took. I’m in a much colder region with heavy clay soil that has 3in. of mulch so maybe thats why they root so well for me here.
I may have to try that next spring.I was going to try with a leafy cuttings a little bit ago, but then my bush started blooming again. I love ever bearing fruit varieties!