Taking Cuttings: Softwood and Hardwood Methods

title: "Taking Cuttings: Softwood and Hardwood Methods"

—- title: "Taking Cuttings: Softwood and Hardwood Methods" slug: taking-cuttings hub: care category: Propagation description: "How to propagate plants from stem cuttings: when to take softwood cuttings in summer, hardwood cuttings in dormancy, what rooting medium works, and which plants succeed from each method." date: 2026-06-10 updated: 2026-06-10 author: "Thomas A." reading_time: 9 —-

Most of the shrubs, perennials, and woody plants in a garden can be multiplied for free by taking cuttings. The mechanics are simple: remove a piece of stem, create conditions for root formation, wait. The variables that determine success are cutting timing, stem maturity, moisture management, and medium.

Two distinct cutting methods apply to most garden plants: softwood (taken from active growth in late spring through midsummer) and hardwood (taken from fully dormant wood in late fall through winter). They require different timing and slightly different technique but similar basic equipment.

I've propagated my panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) from softwood cuttings taken in late June with excellent success — well over 80% rooting rate when I kept humidity high. Russian sage is equally cooperative. For hardwood cuttings, forsythia and viburnums are the most forgiving beginner subjects.

Table of Contents

1. Softwood vs. Hardwood Cuttings: When Each Applies
2. Taking Softwood Cuttings
3. Taking Hardwood Cuttings
4. Rooting Medium and Containers
5. Humidity and Light Management
6. Species Success Reference
7. Frequently Asked Questions

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Softwood vs. Hardwood Cuttings: When Each Applies {#softwood-vs-hardwood}

Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, softwood cuttings root faster because the cells in actively growing tissue are more totipotent (capable of forming new tissue types). Hardwood cuttings are slower but much more tolerant of variable conditions — they can be stored in a cold location and allowed to root over winter without constant humidity management.

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Taking Softwood Cuttings {#taking-softwood}

Timing: Take softwood cuttings in the morning when stems are fully turgid. In zone 7a, the window for most shrubs is late May through early July, before stems begin to harden.

Materials:

• Clean, sharp bypass pruners (Felco F-2 or equivalent)
• Bucket of water or damp cloth to hold cuttings
• Rooting hormone (IBA) in powder, gel, or liquid form
• Rooting medium: perlite, coarse sand, or a 50/50 peat-perlite mix
• Clear plastic bag or humidity dome

Step-by-step:

1. Select the right shoot. Look for vegetative (non-flowering) shoots in the current season's new growth. The stem should be soft and flexible — it should wilt if you let it dry out quickly.

1. Cut to length. Take 3 to 5 inch sections with 2 to 3 nodes. Cut just below a node with a clean diagonal cut.

1. Remove lower leaves. Strip leaves from the bottom half of the cutting. Leave 2 to 4 leaves at the top. Large leaves can be cut in half to reduce transpiration.

1. Apply rooting hormone. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder (0.1% IBA for softwood). Tap off excess. Per Penn State Extension, IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) is the standard hormone for inducing root formation. It's available at garden centers and significantly improves success rates.

1. Insert into medium. Make a hole in the medium with a pencil to avoid scraping off the hormone. Insert the cutting to 1/3 of its length.

1. Enclose in humidity. Place the tray in a clear plastic bag or under a humidity dome. Per NC State Extension, cuttings need 80 to 90% relative humidity until roots form. Without this, leaves transpire water faster than the stem (without roots) can replace it, and the cutting dies.

1. Indirect light. Place in bright indirect light. Direct sun raises temperature under the dome and wilts cuttings. A north-facing window or shadehouse is ideal.

1. Monitor. Check in 7 to 10 days. Cuttings that remain turgid and begin to show new leaf buds are usually rooting. Test gently after 3 weeks by very lightly tugging — resistance indicates rooting.

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Taking Hardwood Cuttings {#taking-hardwood}

Timing: After full leaf drop, when the plant is dormant. In zone 7a, this is November through February.

Advantages: Hardwood cuttings can be stored, don't wilt easily, and root without humidity management. They require patience — most take 8 to 16 weeks.

Step-by-step:

1. Cut dormant wood. Select pencil-diameter wood from the current season's growth (wood that grew this past year). Make bundles of 6 to 8 inch cuttings with 3 to 4 nodes each. Cut the top of each cutting at an angle (so you know which end is up) and the bottom straight.

1. Apply hormone. For most hardwood cuttings, treat the base with 0.3% IBA powder (the higher concentration appropriate for hardwood). Per Oregon State Extension, the IBA concentration for hardwood is 2 to 3x that for softwood because hardwood tissue is less responsive.

1. Bundle and store (cold method): Wrap bundles in damp peat or paper towels, seal in plastic bags, and refrigerate at 34-40°F for 6 to 8 weeks. This cold storage period (stratification for cuttings) promotes root development. Plant in spring.

1. Direct outdoor planting (alternative): Insert bundles directly into a well-drained outdoor nursery bed in fall, with only the top bud above soil. Cover with mulch for winter. Remove mulch in spring; most will have rooted by then. Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, this method works well for willows, dogwood, forsythia, and many viburnums.

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Rooting Medium and Containers {#rooting-medium}

The ideal rooting medium has three properties: it holds moisture, drains freely, and is nearly sterile (to prevent fungal damping-off).

Per Penn State Extension, the medium should never be fertilized during the rooting period. Nutrients stimulate top growth before roots form, which depletes the cutting's reserves.

Containers: any small pot or flat with drainage holes works. A standard 4-inch plastic pot holds 4 to 6 cuttings of a medium-sized shrub. Cell trays are useful for large-scale propagation.

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Humidity and Light Management {#humidity-and-light}

The critical challenge with softwood cuttings: leaves lose water through transpiration but the stem has no roots to replace it. Maintaining high humidity around the foliage reduces this transpiration demand.

Options:

• Clear plastic bag over the pot (most common): puff air into it and seal loosely. Prop open 1/4 inch every few days to ventilate.
• Humidity dome (sold at garden centers): sits over the tray; has adjustable vents.
• Misting system: for greenhouse-scale propagation; overkill for home.

Per NC State Extension, once cuttings begin to wilt despite the humidity enclosure, they typically don't recover. The solution is to act faster — take cuttings in the morning, process immediately, and enclose within minutes.

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Species Success Reference {#species-reference}

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Frequently Asked Questions {#faq}

Do I need rooting hormone?

It significantly improves success rates but some species root readily without it (forsythia, willow). Per Penn State Extension, rooting hormone (IBA) is most valuable for difficult-to-root species and for softwood cuttings where speed matters. For easy species and hardwood cuttings, it's a useful addition but not required.

My cuttings are wilting under the humidity dome. What's wrong?

Either the dome isn't sealing well enough (check for gaps), the medium is too dry, or the cuttings were already stressed when taken. Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, cuttings should be taken from vigorous, healthy parent plants early in the morning and processed immediately. Don't take cuttings from wilted plants.

How do I know when to pot up rooted cuttings?

The tug test: gently grasp the base of the stem and pull very lightly. Resistance means roots are forming. Per NC State Extension, visible root emergence from the drainage holes is a reliable indicator. When rooted, pot up into a cell tray or small pot with a light potting mix, and gradually reduce humidity over 1 to 2 weeks to acclimate.

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Recommended gear: Best bypass pruners: Felco vs Corona vs ARS tested — our buyer's guide covering picks for every budget, ranked by Extension publication consensus and personal use.

Sources

1. Cornell Cooperative Extension &mdash; <a href="https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/">Home Gardening</a>.
2. Penn State Extension &mdash; <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/propagating-plants-by-cuttings">Propagating Plants by Cuttings</a>.
3. NC State Extension &mdash; <a href="https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/propagation/">Propagation</a>.
4. Oregon State Extension &mdash; <a href="https://extension.oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State Extension</a>.