Our property is subject to substantial wind effects, with nearly constant south-westerlies and massive wind events of 90km/hr occurring perhaps every second month.  As a result, it was a priority to establish some hardy windbreak before getting too far along in planting more tender food forest species.

One of the most prolific legumes in our area is caragana, and with a high water table, I knew that willow would play an important role in hedgerows as well as for coppice fuel and potentially browse (down the road).

I knew that willow cuttings would readily root based on past experience, so I harvested some whips from the road allowance and spent less than an hour planting several hundred along the neighbour's barbed-wire fence.

Some preliminary research into propagating caragana seemed to suggest that working from seed was the way to go--however this struck me as too slow and labour intensive. So: I gathered a generous heap of budding caragana prunings in the spring from a friend and conducted 3 trials:

1) I cut the prunings into appx. 30cm lengths, dipped them in commercial rooting hormone, and planted them in damp peat.

2) I placed prunings into willow-water (since new willow growth has rooting hormones in it)

3) I emulated my technique with the willow cuttings and simply pushed 30-50cm cuttings of varying diameters (both green wood AND "old wood") into the ground.

RESULTS:

1) Nearly all of the cuttings treated with the rooting hormone have successfully rooted and are supporting leaves--BUT--they are still in a disused kiddie swimming pool, and if I want to establish them before winter, they will still have to go through a transplant (which also involves more work!)

2)The prunings in the willow water grew a purple anaerobic slime, and approximately half of them died.  The surviving half were transplanted about a week ago, and they look pretty rough.

3) The "sticks shoved in the ground"--by FAR the easiest method-- has resulted in new growth in probably 80% of the cuttings! (though SLIGHTLY less than those treated with rooting compound and placed in peat)  Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between the age/diameter of the cuttings and their vigour:  some of the OLDEST, CHUNKIEST cuttings appear to have rooted MOST successfully (?!)   ...and best of all, no further work is required from me!

My final trial involves allowing the new plantings to compete, unassisted, in a rampant patch of quack grass.  Others I will spend some time "babying."  I won't know for sure until next year, but it APPEARS that they are able to compete just FINE with the vigorous grass!

(allow me a moment, and I will get some photos)..

-Tim