Hi Ask a Question,

I have taken some branches of a variety of trees. Is there a rule of thumb to trick them into rooting? I am home all day, so I have the time to keep my nose over them, and even have a propagation box with a humidifier if needed.
I have all of my cuttings now in a closed jug [like a twig sauna!] with rooting hormone and diluted liquid-fertilizer, about an inch high. Cuttings vary from pencil to marker thickness, semi-hardened to bark forming. I'm just not sure I want to continue with this method since I only know of it working for roses and tomatoes, not tree branches. And a willow branch [1 of 5 of them] really starting growing only after 4 days in moist soil. So.. soil or water?

It all depends upon the tree. Cuttings taken in fall, winter, spring, hardwood, softwood, semi-green wood. With some trees, the age of the tree and the part of the tree you take your cuttings from matters. I suggest you find a good all around book on propagation techniques for various trees. One of my favorites is "The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation" by Michael Dirr and Charles Heuser, Jr. but there are many, many more.

I can tell you that very few trees will root in water. Willows will.

yeah said:Hi Ask a Question,

I have taken some branches of a variety of trees. Is there a rule of thumb to trick them into rooting? I am home all day, so I have the time to keep my nose over them, and even have a propagation box with a humidifier if needed.
I have all of my cuttings now in a closed jug [like a twig sauna!] with rooting hormone and diluted liquid-fertilizer, about an inch high. Cuttings vary from pencil to marker thickness, semi-hardened to bark forming. I'm just not sure I want to continue with this method since I only know of it working for roses and tomatoes, not tree branches. And a willow branch [1 of 5 of them] really starting growing only after 4 days in moist soil. So.. soil or water?

With most trees or shrubs, you want to take cuttings while the new shoots are young. Scrape a bit of one and you should see greenish wood. THEN cut them and use the rooting hormone in a sterile peatish mix.

Yes but I shouldn't get them so young that they oxidize on the cut ends, right? I've tried to take new growth from last season, REMOVING leaves on the stems and just keeping them alive without water logging or burning up from heat. I know someone out there has got to have tried sticking them in water, I just want to know how long?

Until they root or rot.