When dealing with fruit tree cultivars or hybrids, it is one of the best methods to reproduce the parent tree. 1. Two types of cuttings can be taken from pecan trees for rooting: softwood or hardwood cuttings. Remove any flowers or leaves from the cutting.Fill a planting container with a mixture of half peat moss and half sterile sand. Softwood cuttings produce roots about four weeks after planting.Semi-hardwood cuttings are new tree growth that is beginning to mature and harden. Rooting cuttings is a way for home gardeners to reproduce fine pecan varieties without mutation. Eat the fruit; actually eat a few to up the chances of germination and save your pits. Rooting a branch to grow a new tree costs little time or money. Mist the leaves with room-temperature water when you check on the cutting. Starting a new tree from a hardwood cutting is one of the most inexpensive ways to produce a new tree, and it is much faster than growing a tree from seed. A softwood cutting comes from a new stem, semi-hardwood from current-season stems in the summer and hardwood from the previous year's growth. A coffee can or any container with a drainage hole drilled in the bottom will work well.

Cuttings can have a greater rate of success than growing some species of trees from seed. The two processes are similar; the goal is to cultivate tenderly for two to three weeks in order for strong roots to set. Wound hardwood cuttings on the bottom 1 to 2 inches by making vertical cuts on each side with a sharp knife. The larger the young tree, the better chance of survival, so give it at least a few months to mature.

), cultivars of which will grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 11, has white sap. Use a spray bottle to moisten the planting mixture.Dip the angled end of the cutting in rooting hormone, and plant the hardwood cutting with about half of its length in the potting medium with the angled end down. The cuttings are similar to softwood in that they lose moisture quickly after being removed from the tree. Maintain moist soil as the new fruit tree grows. Propagating by cuttings produces an exact clone of the parent plant. Scrub off any fruit matter with a brush and allow the surface to dry. Continue to keep the soil moist and the plant in indirect sunlight. The easiest way to determine if the cuttings have rooted is by tugging gently on a cutting. Plant in a sunny spot and watch them grow, providing delicious fruit for years to come. Softwood and semi-hardwood tree cuttings are the most common type for fruit trees because of their ease in collection and quick root production. Take softwood cuttings in spring, semi-hardwood in the fall and hardwood cuttings in winter.

For best results, take the hardwood cutting early in the morning, and keep the cutting cool until you're ready to plant it.Cut a 4- to 6-inch tip from a stem of the parent tree with a diameter about the size of your little finger. Roll the bottom 2 inches in the hormone, coating the branch. Place the hormone-covered part of the branch in the hole in the potting medium. Using the proper cutting technique, and with right potting conditions, plum tree cuttings can thrive in warm or cold climates. Remove the plastic bag and place the new fruit tree in a window that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Water the medium just until it feels moist all the way through and settles.

This may increase the success rate when propagating hardwood cuttings. Always use healthy branches from the present or past season's growth. She holds a Bachelor of Science in animal science and business from University of Wisconsin-River Falls.