May to early July is the best timing for softwood cuttings of shrubs. I left it a bit late this year, but I’m hoping that a few days will not render my efforts worthless.
This morning, I prepped some larger six packs with potting soil. I clipped 4″ to 6″ branch tips from red-flowered currants, Lewis’ mock orange, salmon berry, and osoberry.
Immediately, I removed any lower leaves, dipped about an inch-and-a-half in rooting gel, poked holes in the six packs, and poked the cuttings in. I tapped the pots on the potting bench and made sure each cutting was secure.
In my experience, keeping the cuttings shaded and moist is critical to their success. Given the high temperatures this time of year, I elected not to put them in the greenhouse. Instead, I placed them in trays with about half an inch of water and set them on the ground in the yard in a quiet, shady spot. The trays will get refilled every time I water the potted plants, usually twice a week.
I would expect these cuttings to have strong roots within a month. I will pot them into 4″ pots at that time and ultimately, they can be set out in the garden in the autumn.
I have had success with red-flowered currant and salmon berry in the past. The osoberry and mock orange are experimental. I will update once the rooting is obvious!