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Gardening Know How recommends taking hardwood cuttings in November from seven deciduous shrubs: dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush, spirea, roses, mock orange and viburnum. The method can produce new plants at low cost, but rooting success is not guaranteed; the report advises suitable timing, well-drained potting mix and winter shelter.
Gardening Know How has named seven deciduous shrubs that gardeners can try propagating from hardwood cuttings in November: twig dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush, spirea, roses, mock orange and viburnum. The report describes a low-cost way to raise new shrubs for spring, while noting that hardwood cuttings do not have a guaranteed success rate.
The report says late fall is a suitable time to take hardwood cuttings because deciduous shrubs are approaching dormancy. It recommends waiting until a shrub has dropped its leaves, or has lost about three-quarters of its foliage in a mild autumn. Gardeners should select current-year stems from the sunnier outer part of the shrub, ideally about the width of a pencil and mature enough to snap rather than bend easily.
Cuttings should generally be 6 to 12 inches long, with several nodes. The report advises making the bottom cut straight across just below a node and the top cut at an angle just above one, so the two ends are easy to distinguish. Remove any remaining leaves with pruners. It also recommends taking more than one cutting, since the method does not produce a 100% success rate even for experienced gardeners.
For rooting, the report recommends deep containers filled with an all-purpose potting mix amended with a similar volume of grit, sand or perlite for drainage. Insert each cutting bottom-first into a hole deep enough to cover about two-thirds of its length, then close the mix gently around the stem. The report says dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush and spirea may root without added hormone; it suggests rooting powder for roses and scoring the base of mock orange and viburnum cuttings before applying it. Pots should be kept in a sheltered place away from severe winter weather.
A Low-Cost Route to More Shrubs
For gardeners planning spring planting, hardwood cuttings offer a way to raise additional shrubs without buying established plants. That can help fill a new bed or replace plants over time, though the result depends on the cutting taking root and growing successfully. The report’s practical value is its emphasis on timing, drainage and winter protection, rather than treating propagation as certain or effortless.
The technique may also let gardeners reproduce shrubs already growing in their own gardens, subject to any applicable restrictions on protected plant varieties. Taking several cuttings gives gardeners more opportunities than relying on a single stem. Even so, the source does not provide measured success rates or compare outcomes among the seven shrubs, so readers should not assume all will root equally well.
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Why November Suits Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood propagation uses mature stems from deciduous shrubs after their active growing season, rather than soft new growth. Gardening Know How says stems are nearing dormancy in November and have stored energy for winter. Its guidance is to take cuttings when foliage has fallen or mostly dropped, rather than following the calendar date alone; local weather and plant condition can affect the timing.
The report’s seven choices are twig dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush, spirea, roses, mock orange and viburnum. It groups the first four as shrubs that may root readily and advises extra help for the latter three. These are recommendations from the source, not a guarantee that every cultivar, stem or local growing condition will behave the same way.
““not even expert gardeners get a 100% success rate from hardwood cuttings.””
— Gardening Know How
Rooting Rates Remain Unspecified
The report does not give success-rate data, specify how long rooting takes for each shrub or compare different cultivars and climates. Its description of the plants as suitable for propagation is practical guidance, not a promise that every cutting will survive winter. It also does not establish one universal November date: the recommended signal is substantial leaf drop, which can vary with weather and location.
The supplied report text ends partway through its winter-care instructions. It advises a sheltered position, such as beside a south-facing wall, but does not provide a complete account of all possible winter conditions or subsequent care. Gardeners should monitor their pots and adapt protection to local conditions rather than infer detailed care steps not included in the source.
Protect Cuttings Through Winter
After planting, keep containers in a sheltered spot protected from harsh winter rain and cold, as the report recommends. The cuttings are expected to root over winter and be ready for planting in spring, but gardeners will need to check whether growth has taken hold before moving them. The source does not give a specific inspection date or a test for confirming roots.
For a November attempt, the immediate steps are to check that the shrub has largely shed its leaves, select mature stems, prepare a freely draining mix and label the pots. Any cuttings that survive can be considered for spring planting; results will depend on the plant and growing conditions.
Key Questions
Which shrubs does the report recommend propagating in November?
It lists twig dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush, spirea, roses, mock orange and viburnum as candidates for hardwood cuttings.
When should I take hardwood cuttings?
Gardening Know How recommends waiting until the shrub has dropped its leaves or lost most of its foliage. That seasonal cue may fall at different times depending on local conditions.
Do I need rooting hormone?
The report says dogwood, forsythia, butterfly bush and spirea may root without it. It recommends rooting powder for roses, and scoring the base of mock orange and viburnum cuttings before applying powder. These are source recommendations, not guarantees.
How long should the cuttings be?
The report recommends stem sections of about 6 to 12 inches, with several nodes, using mature growth roughly the width of a pencil.
Will every cutting grow?
No. The report explicitly says hardwood cuttings do not achieve a 100% success rate, even for experienced gardeners. Taking several cuttings can give gardeners more opportunities, but the source provides no specific success-rate figures.
Source: gardeningknowhow.com
