Local Trees From Cuttings

Hyuri

Hi all,
I'm just getting into the game, and I have a lot of fine trees around to cut from. Does anyone have experience with the following plants as to propagating from cuttings?

Ficus Aurea - Florida Strangler Fig
Misc. Ficus
Crape Myrtle
Local Azalea
Eastern Red Cedar
Various Junipers
Bouganvilla (sp?)
Hickory
Maple
Ash
Brazillian Pepper
Muscadine Grape
many more...

My big question is which responds to cutting, and what would be the method to produce several for bonsai? I was thinking about making cuttings into a plastic propagating tray, then transferring most the survivors to the ground for about two years, and keeping some in pots for me to play with. I plan on making extras.

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Chip Smith

The ficus's are simple. Just make sure you get a good fat branch with lots of branching. Easy to air-layer too. The grape is said to be pretty easy too, Don Zeiman (sp?) has a good site with lots of info on how to do that. I'd rather air-layer a grape though, because i've had good luck with boxwoods, ficus's, aralias etc. Anyone every air-layered a grapevine ?

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Chip Smith
Nashville's Second-best Jazz Whistler

Bonsainut

Cuttings can be done from all the trees you list. I would just say that you should consider the characteristics of good bonsai material before ending up with hundreds or thousands of small trees that have no bonsai future.

Of the list Maple, juniper,ficus stand out as best for a start. Good luck.

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Keep growing,---'Nut



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