Dappled Willow, Hakuro Nishiki, is a great plant to grow and sell for a number of reasons. One, they are extremely colorful and eye catching in the early spring. They grow fast and make an excellent privacy screen. They also do well in wet areas. They do well in full sun or partial shade and are hardy in zones 4 through 9.
But this post and video are about more than that. I did this video because I want to show you how easy it is to start a fun little business in a really small area of your yard. In this video, I show you how to work in an area no bigger than a dining room table (I’ve been teaching this to people all over the country for years here).
Warning! This video portrays images
of misbehaving donkeys!
In the video I am doing Dappled Willow cuttings as hardwood cuttings and I explain hardwood cuttings in detail here, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-winter-time-plant-propagation-can-home/ and here, and this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2016/09/hardwood-cuttings-winter-of-20152016/
I also promise in the video to share this page on how to make these Homemade Propagation Flats.
Enjoy the video!
Warning! This video portrays images of
really misbehaving donkeys!!!
90 days later when the cuttings are rooted.
In the video I am discussing Dapple Willow from cuttings, I just looked and I have not yet done a post about Dapple Willow with spring photos so I need to do that. But on this page, Our Member Roger Higgins shows us How He Grows Dappled Willow from Cuttings into Tree Form Plants.
More images of pulling them out of the flat below.
Seriously, in just a few weeks from this point I’ll customers wanting to buy these.
In the video I also mention Pink Diamond Hydrangea, see those here. Also Silver Dollar Hydrangea, see those here. And yes, you can grow them from sticks just like I am doing in this video.
As I mentioned in the video you can easily sell rooted cuttings and liners of all kinds of plants in our members area. Just pack them up and ship them to your customers. You will be astonished when you not only see how much stuff is sold in Our Members Area, but how fast many of these things sell.
I didn’t mention it in the video but I also planted out a bunch of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea that I will be doing as cuttings. We have one member that does a lot of these and and as soon as he puts them up for sale he sells out. I’ve bought from him a number of times.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond. Until then, by any and all means stay inspired!
Hi Mike! Thanks for your posts. I follow you on YouTube. When you pot up your rooted cuttings, do you put a cutting per pot or a bundle?Does each cutting grow into a shrub? thanks
Tina,
One cutting per pot and each cutting will eventually create a full grown plant.
Hi!
First time trying to root my dappled. I have them in potting mix now for about 3 weeks. They are growing leaves but i don’t see any roots. Is it going to take longer because of temps or should i start over?
Sara,
Just leave them be, they will be slow to root but it sounds like they are doing fine. I don’t touch mine until at least June.
Thanks so much!
Mike,
Found out about you a couple years ago. Been watchn ever since. My degree is in Horticulture, but as most of us do we work in another field.LOL I have always kept growing since college. I love to grow from seeds. But will take some cuttings. I retired when i was 53, i am now 63. My daughter told me to start a little nursery to occupy my time. Sooo…starting next year. Keep the videos coming. I happened to have a friend in the injection molding business. You meantioned some pots you were having trouble getting. I know he already does pots of various size. I could ask.
Want to get on your Backyard board. When will it be opened next time?
Thanks
Ralph,
I really think you should start a small nursery. It’s an amazing thing to be involved with. Contact Duston about membership, he can help with that. [email protected] or [email protected] http://backyardgrowers.com/join
HI Mike we tried rooting flowering almond, hydrangea, and red bud using the gel rooting hormone in pots with regular bagged garden soil. Its now been 6 weeks and I checked one of each, and absolutely nothing at all on them. is it too soon or soil conditions? I didnt use the white garbage bag for moisture, but I did water without flooding them. Any suggestions?
Janine,
The flowering almond and redbud are very difficult to root under any circumstances. Hydrangeas are easy, but you really need to keep them in the shade, watered often, or the plastic bag.
Love your precious donkeys ” …Thanks Mike 😉
i had to re-watch the how-to a few times, was too busy laughing at your donkeys!
A question please Mike, I started some hardwood cuttings last year stuck directly into the ground in a small area specially prepared for the job however I found after a heavy frost the cuttings lifted, is this a problem and how can I stop this happening next year?
Richard,
It’s a problem if the cuttings dried out. You really can’t prevent it, just keep an eye on them over the winter. However, I now do all of my hardwood cuttings at the end of March here in northern ohio. That’s about 3 to 4 weeks before they leaf out. Heaving is less likely to happen then and they root faster.
A couple of years ago, you suggested a tool to dig with. I think it had a Chinese name. Triangular head, handle about 12 or 14 in. Anyway, I bought one and loved it. I have never used anything else since. Now it is lost. Probably in mulch somewhere. Could you please tell me what the name was. Thanks, Joyce
Joyce,
It was the Easy Digger. and the Gama Nija Hoe for weeding.
Hi Mike,
So I broke all your rules, LOL! (Wish I had this video back then…) In December I took a lot of hardwood cuttings of annabelles, weigela, and rose of sharon, but made them too long with more than one node and stuck them in sand. Well, the annabelles are already showing buds, but, like you said in the video, because the nodes are so far apart, they’re really long! Is it too late to shorten them? Can I just cut them down into a couple of cuttings or should I just leaven them as is and do it the right way next time? Thanks for all you do!
I’d leave them alone for now, then you can prune them after you have them potted. Best to prune when dormant, but you don’t necessarily have to wait until then if they needed pruning.
I am a complete amateur and I love your website. your instructions are so clear and easy to understand.
I just love your donkeys they are adorable.
I would also like to know if you can take a cutting from a Giant Fleece flower? I can not find any advice on that anywhere on the Internet. Or are tey seeds only?Thank you Mike for all your videos and advice.
Iceni,
I really don’t know but I would try softwood cuttings and see how that works. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Great teaching as always, sir! I’ve learned so much from you. thank you for your generous spirit! can you recommend a good resource for bulk trade-gallon pots?
James,
I can only share wholesale sources in the members area. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Thanks for the dappled willow vid. -good stuff
Mike – you mentioned when to do this and what medium you are putting it in but after planting in the dirt do you put the flats in the open element/sun or do you cover them up with plastic like you showed in your older propagation videos?
Water daily, weekly or ??
Thanks!
D
Doug,
for hardwood cuttings such as these just about any soil would work. I’d don’t like sand for hardwood cuttings because they are not being misted and the sand will dry. I put mine in full sun since it’s early spring and the sun is not that intense. Water as needed, but I really don’t water mine until it’s time to start watering my containers. Spring rains are enough.