Last updated on October 9th, 2013
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Taking Pyracantha cuttings
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Pyrcantha is also known as Firethorn due to its very sharp thorns.
Pyrcantha cutting are easy to take and don’t require much care and are taken using semi-hardwood cutting take around 12 months from taking to cutting to getting a good size plant ready for planting out in the garden. The best time to take cutting is something that many gardeners debate but we recommend taking them from late May but they can also be taken right through to October and November.
You can place cutting in large deep trays / crates something that is at least 12″ deep, mix half seed compost with half sand and mix together until its thoroughly mixed together fill the crates with the mixed compost and sand (ensure that the crates used a free draining so that water can escape). This method is ideal for taking many cutting but if you want to take only a few then you would be better putting each cutting into a small pots instead, this also makes transplanting easier and reduces the risk of damaging the cutting when they are rooted and being planted in the ground.
The cutting need to be taken from the tips of the Pyracantha branches and should be around 3-6″ long, take your cutting just below below a node (where the leaf joins the stem) and the would needs to be semi-mature wood. Now remove all the bottom leaves just leaving the top ones intact, your cutting is now ready to be planted.
Make a small hole in the mix you prepared for planting the cutting in your crate or pot, now dib the end of the pyracanta cutting into some rooting powder which promotes root growth and insert the cutting into the hole and firm around the cutting be carefull not to damage the cutting.
Once all your cutting are done you need to give them a good watering and then store them in a place where they will not get direct sunlight but will still get light. You can cover them with clear polythene or jars to help keep them humid and do not allow them to dry out. They will produce roots in around 8-10 weeks but they will not be ready for planting out until spring.
Some people have successfully managed to grow very large cutting ie 12″ (1ft) long by using the same method which is all ways worth a try and can be interesting as you can have some very strong large plants very quickly (ie in one season)
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1 Comment
Pyracantha is not called firethorn because of it’s sharp thorns. It is called that because of the burning, fire-like pain that comes after being punctured by one of the thorns. I has checked all of my resources, and nothing states the particular compound that causes this, but they all mention the burning pain, and some mention swelling reactions as well.