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Gardening in the UK

propagating black poplar

21 years ago

as part of a drive to encourage the planting of native hedges and wooldands i've happilly been propagating up various trees and shrubs, which are happily growing away in their greenhouse. However, one tree i am pleased to have at my disposal is some 300+ year old black poplar trees. So, after seeking advice and researching about propagation techniques, humidty, soils, temp etc etc etc. I took my cuttings and potted away. Doing everything by the book, virtually none grew. I did experiment and used different techniques but the results where still not what I was hoping for, all the other species have taken fine.

So, has anybody propagated black poplar (Populus nigra) a different way that has just 'worked' for some reason?

YewTree

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Comments (5)

shrubs_n_bulbs
21 years ago
Did you try hardwood cuttings?
YewTree
Original Author
21 years ago
yes, they where all from hardwood cuttings, sorry, should have mentioned that
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brian2cv
21 years ago
I went to a short lecture on Black Poplar a year or two back, based on the North Bucks area, which has a special interest in the tree. Search google and you will find it. I have a vague recollection they are mostly one sex and hence don't reproduce naturally in any numbers. Many poplars root very easily in water. I should try softwood.

Brian
pineresin
21 years ago
What size cuttings did you use?

Standard technique is to saw off a branch 5-10cm thick in winter, and cut it into 2m lengths. Trim a point on the bottom end, then ram them 1.5m deep into the ground where you want them to grow. Let them grow through the first year, then coppice them the following winter, so that the year after, they produce good strong stems from the base. After another year, thin any multiple stems down to one stem.

Resin
YewTree
Original Author
21 years ago
I was a bit limited in that the trees i took the cuttings from are well over three hundred years old trees growing on the banks of the river cray and as poplar grows like buggery you can imagine how big the things are. However, after scaling th heights of the tallest oak tree i was still no nearer getting to the lowest branches and it was only by luck that a passing storm blew down a branch, which the tree may have been getting ready to shred naturally anyway. the branch was alive and though only about 4cm at its thickest it did still leave me enough material to try various techniques. I shall keep that method in mind if i happen across some more, make sure i chech after every storm.
I have used the method you mention in the past (albeit with willow when using stakes in hurdles and hedge laying) and it is a good one that i most likely wouldn't have thought of for black poplar. thanks

it seems that soem of the little blighters have started to grow, they where just being a bit slow off the mark, and i really am planning to eventually plant a coppice on the banks of a river where i work, which as far as i can make out would be the only one in the country (hey, makes me feel good)

Cheers

YewTree

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