Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): An Overview of Methods and Best Practices for Success
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Propagation Assessment of Eastern Hemlock: Seedling Germination and Growth
3. Propagation Assessment of Eastern Hemlock: Vegetative Propagation
3.1. Cuttings
3.1.1. Timing of Cuttings
3.1.2. Age and Genotype of Cuttings
3.1.3. Taking Cuttings
3.1.4. Rooting Compounds for Cuttings
3.1.5. Mist, Heat, and Media for Cuttings
3.2. Layering
3.3. Grafting
3.4. Micropropagation and Somatic Embryogenesis
4. Conclusions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| HWA | Hemlock Woolly Adelgid |
| NAA | 1-Napthanleneacetic acid |
| IBA | Indole-3-butyric acid |
| GA | Gibberellic acid |
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| Publication | Rooting Compound | Setup | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authors | Year | Parent Info | Month | Cutting Size | Auxin | Concentration | Application | Mist | Heat | Success | Time to Rooting | Notes |
| Cesarini | 1968 | - | - | - | Hormodin #3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Unknown success rates |
| Del Tredici | 1985 | Up to 120 years | July and January | 2.54–12.7 cm | IBA in ethanol | 10% | 5 s dip | In July: 2.5 s every 2.5 min during daylight In January no mist, a sealed polyethylene frame | Winter low of 12.8 °C Both cases with 21.1 °C bottom heat | July: 0–95% January: 10–85% In all but one instance, July was lower than January | 4 months | Summer cuttings grew a lot in the following season compared to winter cuttings |
| Fordham | 1971 | - | October and November | - | IBA and NAA | 0.5% each | 5 s dip | Open bench or polyethylene chambers | - | - | - | Unknown success rates |
| Gray | 1958 | 5 years | December | 25.4 cm | IBA in talc and alcohol | 0.8% and 2% | quick dip and powder | Polyethylene case | - | Up to 74.9% depending on IBA and media | 3 months | quick dip is better than powder; spiral cuts & wounding |
| Jetton et al. | 2005 | Mature | June | 3 and 6 cm | NAA | 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 mM | 3 s basal dip of 1 cm | Intermittent and related to humidity | 20—26 °C air temp | 41% | 6 months | Rooting differences between species, length of cutting, and NAA |
| Waxman | 1985 | 5 and 12 year old | January | - | IBA | 2% | dip | - | - | 40–100% for 5 year old clones 0–80% for 12 year old clones | 4 months | Unknown success rates |
| van Elk | 1969 | - | Autumn | 5.08–7.62 cm | NAA or IBA | 0.1% NAA or 1% IBA | Dust | Only mist in growing season; do not mist in winter | Heating raised rooting 10% | 84% | - | Fungicide Captan 50:50 with Rooting Compound improved rooting; Wounding bark |
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Dlugos, D.M.; Kappler, R.H.; Filak-Wingard, A.L.; Obrebski, C.E.; Koch, J.; Burke, D.J. Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): An Overview of Methods and Best Practices for Success. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12080980
Dlugos DM, Kappler RH, Filak-Wingard AL, Obrebski CE, Koch J, Burke DJ. Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): An Overview of Methods and Best Practices for Success. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(8):980. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12080980
Chicago/Turabian StyleDlugos, Daniel M., Rachel H. Kappler, Alorah L. Filak-Wingard, Chelsea Elizabeth Obrebski, Jennifer Koch, and David J. Burke. 2026. "Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): An Overview of Methods and Best Practices for Success" Horticulturae 12, no. 8: 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12080980
APA StyleDlugos, D. M., Kappler, R. H., Filak-Wingard, A. L., Obrebski, C. E., Koch, J., & Burke, D. J. (2026). Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): An Overview of Methods and Best Practices for Success. Horticulturae, 12(8), 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12080980
