Question
QUESTION: I am trying to grow another tree from my red .made a half way cut in the branch put a small piece of wood in it to keep it open added a plastic bag with dirt in it to grow the roots and its started to root.this is in maryland so it getting cool in the mid 50's lower at night it took 2 months or more to start rooting and their are only a few tiny root4 possibly now that its cooler guess they wont continue to grow(the roots)or will they .how do I winterize the roots,will they die and have to try again next year,and do i water the soil in plastic like ive been doing when it dries out or when dormant does it need it?  this is a first for me... thanks in advance also do 6 ft newly planted apple trees need to be wraped for winter and with what if so....Linda

ANSWER: Linda, the best way to overwinter them is to plant them in peat moss and store them in a very cool place. A garage or unheated cellar work best. What you need to do is create a dormant environment, similar to what they would experience outdoors. Keep the soil moist, but water very sparingly. Then in the spring, you can transplant it outdoors after slowly acclimating it to outdoor conditions. This is accomplished through a process called hardening-off, which is nothing more than moving it outdoors in a protected area such as a porch for a few hours the first day, and doubling the time each day. On day four, you can start exposing the plant to more sunshine. After day seven, you can transplant it to its permanent location.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for your quick response,the branch is still attached to the tree and only has very tiny one inch roots barely just started rooting so if I cut it off now the roots im guessing wouldnt be suficiant to absorb enought moisture.im guessing the roots so tiny would die off dauring the winter,but since the branch is still attached thought it would start rooting again in spring,its an odd shaped branch that looks like a tiny red bud tree already and I was going to just prune it but I figured it would be a nice tree if I could get it to root,as I said Im not sure what and how to do it.have tried this method before on other trees and was  unsuccessful but this is what Ive read on how to make another tree insted of using seeds.Ive dont about 10 crepe myrtles by seed,piece of cake.thanks Linda

Answer
The secret is to always use a supple branch that is not woody. Always remove all the leaves except the top set. Everything else you described is the exact method to use when propagating with cuttings. Trees, however, do not always take. That is why it is best to take several cuttings and plant them individually in pots, cover them with clear plastic, and then treat them a normal seedlings once they root. A 20%-30% success rate is considered good, so that is why it is best to pot several.

Good luck. With patience, I'm sure you will be successful.

Mike