Optimistic Endeavor!

A couple of days ago I briefly mentioned that I had started cuttings. Well, here is the full story.

We live in a community where the houses are pretty close together. Now I don't mind this, but our yard is in the middle of like 6 other houses! And it just so happens that the butt of there yard is right up on our back yard. They do all have fences, so our backyard is kinda fenced in, but its definitely NOT pretty. Did I mention that people throw all there crap in there backyard?

One house has last years Christmas tree right up against our yard!

(the h is where the house is) See my problem??

It didn't take long for us to decide that we HAD to have something to add some privacy to our backyard our options were quite limited. We didn't have the money for a fence and really couldn't afford the $20- $50 price tag on the gallon hedges. (We would need 76 placing them 4 ft apart!)

Our neighbors have these great Leyland Cypress trees around there back yard. I have looked at that hedge since we moved here yearning for the privacy that it provided.

So when I came upon a book on propagation (I want to save money any way I can) I just had to have it that's when I found that the only way to start a cypress is to root the cuttings. That's when a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I could start our hedge from there hedge!

That was a couple of months ago but since then I have been planning. And now finally I have been able to execute my plans!

1st of all asking for cuttings, I was so nervous that they would say no. I mean all this planning hinged on the cuttings! I had my husband ask (because I am chicken) and they had just happen to have two HUGE branches that had broke off and they were just going to throw away! But even if that didn't work they said I could take cuttings from there trees! They are the best neighbors a person could ask for!

See, its PERFECT!

Rooting hormone to ensure good rooting!

Used pots from last year!(see the red clearance tag? I am a sucker for a bargain!)

Of course the first step was to get good cuttings. To make sure that it had some new and old growth)

This is one of my cuttings measuring about 4-5"

I cut off the bottom inch or so of offshoots.

Then I notched it so that the water could soak in easier

Then I wet it and dipped the cutting in rooting hormone (tapping off the excess)

Then I just stuck it in the pot filled with sand.

I am not exactly sure how many are here, but my guess is a lot. Hopefully at least 76. LOL!

I still need to cover them with plastic to keep in the humidity, but all in all I am very optimistic about my future hedge!

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;

an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Winston Churchill