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Gardening Know How reports that November can be a suitable time to take hardwood cuttings from seven deciduous shrubs, including roses, dogwood and mock orange. The method uses mature stems in well-drained potting mix, but rooting success is not guaranteed and depends on plant type and winter conditions.
Gardening Know How has published a November propagation guide featuring seven deciduous shrubs that can be grown from hardwood cuttings, a method that may let gardeners raise new plants without buying them. The guide names roses, butterfly bush, dogwood, mock orange, viburnum, forsythia and spirea, while stressing that cuttings need suitable preparation and winter shelter and that success is not guaranteed.
The report recommends taking cuttings after a shrub has dropped its leaves, or after it has lost about three-quarters of its foliage in a mild autumn. It advises selecting current-year stems from the sunnier outer part of the shrub. Suitable stems are roughly pencil-width and mature enough to snap rather than bend easily. Cut sections should generally measure 6 to 12 inches and include several buds or nodes.
For each cutting, the guide calls for a straight cut just below a node at the base and an angled cut above a node at the top. It says to remove any remaining leaves with pruners, then place the base downward into a deep container filled with well-draining potting mix. The report recommends mixing the soil with a similar volume of horticultural grit, sand or perlite, and making holes before inserting stems so they are not forced into the mix.
The plants differ in how much help they may need. According to the guide, dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush and spirea can root without added rooting hormone. It describes roses as reliable candidates that may benefit from rooting powder, while mock orange and viburnum may benefit from scoring: removing a narrow strip of bark near the base before applying rooting powder. It advises keeping pots in a sheltered spot, such as beside a south-facing wall, through winter.
A Low-Cost Way to Raise Shrubs
The method offers gardeners a way to increase the number of shrubs they grow using material from plants they already have access to. That can be useful when filling a new garden area or propagating a favorite shrub, although the report does not quantify costs or provide measured success rates. The plants are intended to root over winter and be ready for planting in spring, so the approach requires patience and space to protect pots through colder months.
The practical distinction among the seven choices matters: some are described as more likely to root unaided, while others may need hormone powder or bark scoring. Following those plant-specific steps may help gardeners avoid treating every cutting the same way, but no method can guarantee that each stem will take.
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Why November Suits Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood propagation uses mature stems from deciduous shrubs as they enter dormancy. The Gardening Know How report says late fall is suitable because the plants have shed most of their leaves and their stems have stored energy for winter. It presents November as the timing for its recommended approach, rather than a universal date for every climate or garden.
Unlike soft, leafy cuttings taken during active growth, these sections are placed in containers and left to develop roots during the colder season. The report emphasizes drainage and shelter because saturated or exposed pots may leave stems vulnerable to rotting or cold damage. It gives a general method, not a region-specific calendar or guarantee of results.
““not even expert gardeners get a 100% success rate from hardwood cuttings.””
— Gardening Know How
Rooting Results Vary by Conditions
The report does not provide trial data, comparative rooting rates, or a guarantee that the seven shrubs will root successfully in every garden. Outcomes may depend on the plant’s condition, local climate, how cuttings are prepared, and how pots fare through winter. It also does not specify regional temperature thresholds or give a detailed watering schedule for the full rooting period.
The source describes the listed plants as candidates for hardwood propagation, but its broad November timing may not fit every location. Gardeners should treat the dates and care steps as general guidance and account for their local weather and the needs of the particular shrub.
Protect Pots Until Spring
After inserting the cuttings, gardeners should place the containers somewhere sheltered from harsh winter weather, following the report’s advice to use a protected position near a south-facing wall. The stems are expected to root over winter, with spring as the point when rooted plants may be planted out. The guide does not give a specific inspection date or say that every cutting will be ready at the same time, so gardeners will need to monitor their pots and judge readiness before planting.
Key Questions
Which seven shrubs does the November guide recommend?
The report lists roses, butterfly bush, dogwood, mock orange, viburnum, forsythia and spirea as shrubs that can be propagated from hardwood cuttings.
When should hardwood cuttings be taken?
Gardening Know How recommends taking them after the shrub has dropped its leaves, or after it has lost about three-quarters of its foliage in a mild autumn. Local conditions can affect timing.
Do all the cuttings need rooting hormone?
No. The guide says dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush and spirea may root without it. It suggests rooting powder for roses and says mock orange and viburnum may benefit from scoring the bark and applying powder.
When can the cuttings be planted in the garden?
The report says the cuttings are expected to root over winter and may be ready for planting in spring. It does not promise that all cuttings will root or be ready at the same time.
Source: gardeningknowhow.com
