9/13/2021 – The Red Bud Tree sapling we brought from Houston, from Mary’s grandparent’s homestead in Magnolia Texas, has done very well in the raised bed in the northeast corner of the front yard. It had spent the first three years here in the herb bed at the westside patio where it struggled. But, it has taken off in the new bed where we once had a Bay Tree that did not do well and was removed.
The Red Bud needed its lower limbs pruned and we used those prunings to try rooting some and have more of this significant plant from Mary’s family. The two older limbs that were removed were cut into 8-inch to 12-inch pieces and some had all the leaves removed.
Having read about the value of “wounding” the rootings we used a pocket knife to cut two about 3-inch long slices through the bark of the cuttings that were wet from being in a bucket of rainwater since we trimmed the tree about 2 hours earlier.
The wounded cuttings were wiped in Hormex Rooting Powder No. 8 (for “moderately difficult to root woody plants”) poured into my gloved hand to cradle the powder and turn the cuttings so the bottom 4-inches or so was completely coated. They were then inserted into a larger hole in the potting soil and the soil pressed in around them so the powder was left fully attached to the rooting.
We then put the pots on the ground next to the carport brick wall outside the greenhouse as the greenhouse is still getting very hot during the day. Mary splashed some rainwater from a bucket on each of the three pots.
The source for guidance was from NC State Extension here.
