- 1). Take the cutting from the top of a mature, young dogwood. Do not take shoots with buds on them. Snip off a 6 to 8-inch shoot that is green and flexible, not woody. The cutting should be at least as thick as a pencil, but but not as thick as a fat crayon.
- 2). Strip all the leaves below the top third of the stem using a small sharp knife or pruning shears. Remove any remaining dead blooms.
- 3). Dip the cutting into the rooting compound. Shake the cutting to remove any liquid or powder left from the product.
- 4). Fill a 6-inch pot with potting soil. Insert the cutting into the soil far enough to cover half the cutting. Water the dogwood cutting until it is saturated.
- 5). Place a lightweight, clear plastic tent over the pot. You can also cut the bottom out of a clear plastic bottle, such as a 2-liter soda bottle, and use it to cover the pot. If you have a plant cloche, this is the time to use it. Place the potted dogwood stem in an indoor location with indirect light. Don't put it in direct sun.
- 6). Mist the dogwood cutting with water when it appears to lose moisture. Roots should appear within 3 to 4 weeks. If they do not emerge from the bottom of the pot after 4 weeks, turn the pot upside down, hold the stem between your fingers and gently tap the bottom of the pot until soil and cutting slip out in to your hand. You should see roots at the edges of the soil.
- 7). Transplant the rooted cutting to a 12-inch pot and let it grow for the remainder of the summer. On an autumn day transplant it to the site you have chosen outside.
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