Aspen propagation

Banbh

Has anyone successfully propagated aspen suckers? They pop up freely around the tree but when I try to dig them out and pot them up, they die.

Is there a secret to it?

magicbastarder

what time of the year have you tried transplanting them?

Banbh

The last couple of months. I take the sucker and the root (about 6" in each direction) to no avail.

magicbastarder

i'd wait till winter, when there's no leaves on the suckers and they're dormant; that way there'll be fair less strain on them.

Banbh

How can I follow this thread? Is there a button somewhere?

Jim_Hodge

Plant the suckers in late September.

looksee

Now you have started the thread it will come up in your notifications (I think) - it will come up somewhere!

The Continental Op

Don't even pot them up. Leave them in the ground and cut the roots about a foot on either side of the sucker. Dig up and replant those that survive a growing season.

On the other hand I'd try cuttings as they grow fairly easily from hard wood cuttings.

Edit> I'm wrong well sort of, years since I did a lot of serious propagation but it came to me after posting that with Aspen you take root cuttings. Essentially you cut 30cm long sections of root in the spring that are about .5mm to 1cm diameter (very approx) and lay them flat in potting compost and just cover them with a little more compost. Keep them moist (without making the compost sodden) an await the suckers to emerge, pot on when they reach about 10cm.

Found this which covers it well https://www.cbd.int/doc/case-studies/tttc/tttc-00158-en.pdf but for a few plants you don't need to go to the lengths of using your new growth as cuttings thats for when you want the maximum number of plants.