No experience with yucca, but yes cottonwood, poplars and pretty much anything else from the willow family and lots of others root easily from cuttings. You can do them in pots, beds or right in the ground where you want them if you can keep them moist while they root, we do this every year with poplars, tried chokecherry but they didn't make it. Some kinds need to soak in a bucket of water for a long time I think, and others just don't root very well or at all.
If I were to do this with cottonwoods what size of branch should I be looking for? The size of a pencil or the size of a quarter or even larger? What time of year is best to do it?
We usually do poplars in spring when they're budding up but not growing too much yet. Like hank said, pencil to half inch is about right, lower branches that have grown from trunk sprouts if possible.
Did make it home after all so grabbed a pic. Not quite blooming yet but you get the idea. This is the non-lawn. After we built the garage and poured the driveway, we were left with this odd area of weedy lawn. Soil here is terrible - neighbors said it’s all fill from when they built the houses. So tilled it up, amended a bit and started planting. This is year 4 I think. It’s getting there- needs to fill in a bit still. Also needs to be mulched again- damn bindweed and kochia. Gets watered once every week or two.
Looks nice!
I’d like to find some good, native to Iowa strain aspen to plant an acre or more of in my yard. I’ve talked to our state forester and am yet to find a good supplier. Any tips on transplanting Aspen since they are a clonal colony?
Try state forestry or ag dept offices. Seedlings are the best.
I’m working with the state forester on several projects for work so I talk to him about personal stuff often. I’ve asked him about aspen seedlings, our state nursery doesn’t do them. I will reach out to MN or Wi.
Does the area still hold moisture year-round or does it dry out in summer? Climate change impact is real. I can see aspen in that area being highly sensitive to the change.
Road trip for you.
Surprisingly, our soil holds moisture decently. That being said it’s drier than a duck fart right now. I have a stand of aspen about a 1/2 mile to the north of me. I’ve been thinking of collecting seed and trying to propagate little fellars. It can’t hurt?
Where he’s at in Wisconsin. I can see Wisco from my porch.
That’s about 2 hours north of me, just south of Minneapolis St. Paul. The st croix river is beautiful, big whitetail in that area. You should make it a point to get out there!
He looks out over the Big river to the St Croix. Bears and WT in his yard. Great fishing. He brings me goodies when he comes to hunt elk.
