My sister ordered flowers for my dad's funeral and she chose an arrangement that she thought would be just like me - mostly wild flowers and sort of all messy looking. I loved it - especially next to all the formal arrangements. There was a long, maybe 3 feet, branch of forsythia in it. I brought it home - had to snap it in half twice to get it in my suitcase so it's pretty much just twigs now. Does anyone know if they can be rooted from cuttings - especially cuttings that have been treated so rudely and gone without water for about 14 hours?

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Bev

I have a forsythia that I broke a branch off of while mowing around it too closely when it was young. I stuck it in the ground right next to my house on the north side and it rooted. That was in spring though--the optimum time.

You could try trimming a bit off the bottoms of the "cuttings" to make a fresh cut. Remove all buds or growth except for the top 3. I would cut these top 3 back to just above their first leaves so you don't have too much leaf area. Total length of the cuttings should be about 6 inches long. Rooting hormone on the bases would be helpful. Plant in good potting soil so only the top third or so is out of the ground. Keep moist by using a plastic bag to protect the cuttings from drying out. Ventilate occasionally by opening the bag for an hour or two.

If you have access to willows, you can make your own rooting hormone. Cut willow stems into 1 inch pieces and place them in a small container. Add about 2 inches of water, cover, and let stand for 24 hours. Remove the stems, insert cuttings, and let them soak overnight before planting. Keep your cuttings lightly moistened in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight while you make the willow water.

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Terry

May the force be with you

Please let us know how it goes.

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We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

Using a cut potatoe also will work in place of rooting hormone. Just place the cut potatoe in your hole and place end of stem on top of the cut side of the potatoes and cover it up.

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