I have found some bush honeysuckle just out of foraging range of my bees. Does anyone know if I can take cuttings from these plants, root them, and transplant to a new area. If so what is the best way to get them to root. and what is the proper time?
Another possible way....Snip some new and one year old cuttings and put them in a bucket w/ some fresh cuttings from a willow tree. The bark of willow releases a natural rooting compound in a water bath. It may be 2 - 3 weeks, for them to begin to root.
take 5" cuttings cut clean just below a node where leaves join. These should be from this year's growth, but not the growing tip. Pinch off the leaves from the lower half and insert about 2" deep into a mix of moist peat moss and perlite. rooting compound may help but isn't necessary. Keep in a shady area, keep moist not wet.
Another way is to bury part of one of the vines, check back in 4-6 weeks for root growth. When sufficient roots are formed you can cut the vine and transplant.
Doesn't anyone else use honey as a rooting compound? I use it on my muscadine rootings and it works very well. Take cuttings where you have at least on nob and clip the leaves off dip in (old) honey and insert into a hole in the potting soil/dirt close the dirt around it and wait. I usaully put two cuttings per a pot. Place in a sunny area and keep damp.
Good luck.
Even if you manage to transplant the honeysuckle, who's to say the bees will bother working it? I have a huge amount of honeysuckle within 500 feet of my hives that is in full bloom and the bees are ignoring it. They are also ignoring the couple acres worth of white dutch clover thats growing everywhere. Instead, they seem to be focusing their effors on the tulip poplar trees. Surprisingly, they are also working the green privet hedge next to my house big time.
This is what I always say about planting for bees. You can't figure if they will even use it, so my main goal is to fill in the gaps, rather than trying to create a honey crop. Something that blooms really early, really late, or during a drought will keep them going when other things fail and if they don't want it, that's fine, it was just insurance anyway.
What is so unbelievable about bees working privet hedge? My hives have 50-200 lbs of privet honey on them right now. Here in Mississippi Privet is my big spring honey plant. And I always haive a few hives that make 200 lbs. off of it.
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