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Home / Author Archives for Adriana Lovell

Adriana Lovell

Grow Native Plants with the Cutting and Staking Method

March 27, 2023

There are many ways to grow native plants. From container plants to bareroot stems to spreading seed, each option has its advantages. Unlike methods that require purchasing a starter plant, the cutting and staking method allows us to grow plants from a cutting of a plant already growing nearby.

No matter if you’re working on a backyard or a large restoration project, this is an affordable way to plant areas to improve wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion.

Which native plant species grow well from cuttings?

Cutting and staking works well for many perennial woody plants. Click the name of the plants below to learn about the species we often plant with this technique.

Willows (Salix species)

Scouler’s willow (Salix scouleriana), Pacific willow (Salix lasiandra), Hooker’s willow (Salix hookeriana), and Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis) are abundant throughout the Tualatin Valley. Willow are the most common species used with the cutting and staking method. First, identify willow species in the spring or summer when they are full of leaves as it can be difficult to tell them apart at other times of year. Look for willows growing in wet locations such as streambanks, pond or lake edges, and wetlands. Whereas most native willows dislike dry soils or drought, Scouler’s willow can grow well in forest understories and tolerates short periods of drought.

Credit: Terry Howes, Flickr
Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Although red-osier dogwood doesn’t establish as easily as willow does using this method, we still recommended them for live staking along creeks and in wet soils. Dogwood can grow in a wide range of habitats but prefers moist soils. Plant them in places with full sun to partial shade and tolerates seasonal flooding. Pollinators love its pretty, white-clustered flowers.

Black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)

Twinberry is a terrific species to plant for pollinators and wildlife habitat. Hummingbirds love to visit their yellow flowers and the berries make great food for other birds. It grows well in sunny to partially shady locations with moist soil and tolerates seasonal flooding. It doesn’t grow as tall or spread as quickly as willow or dogwood, making it a good option for urban areas or rain gardens.

Credit: Gertjan van Noord, Flickr
Douglas spirea (Spiraea douglasii)

You’ve probably seen spirea growing in ditches, along creeks, and in wetlands. Its clumps of pink flowers are eye-catching, even from a distance! Douglas spirea forms dense thickets that provide important habitat for wildlife and pollinators. It grows in sunny, wet areas that may dry up seasonally or stay wet year-round.

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

Snowberry is the jack-of-all trades when it comes to planting for wildlife. Its berries provide food for birds in winter and its dense, shrubby growth provides cover for a multitude of forest critters. It grows in a wide variety of conditions and is hardy to dry spells, seasonal flooding, and heavy grazing by deer. Once established, it spreads quickly through its underground rhizomeRhizome A continuously growing, horizontal underground stem. and fills in bare ground.

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How to grow plants from live cuttings:

A plant cutting is a piece of stem that’s cut from a mature plant. Due to an amazing ability to regrow from stems, cuttings from certain shrubs and trees can be driven straight into the soil (staking) and will grow into a new plant.

Green leaves sprout from brown stems and small white root trails down to soil

Step 1. Get ready to take a cutting.

Before you start, gather your supplies. Making a cutting is simple to do but can be time consuming and labor intensive, you’ll need:

  • Sharp loppers
  • Twine
  • Gardening gloves
  • Several hours (depending on how many cuttings you plan to make)

Locate an established population of the species you intend to take cuttings of.

Take cuttings in late fall or winter when the plants are dormant. Dormancy is after the leaves have fallen and before buds appear. Generally, between late November and mid-February. Because it’s challenging to identify plants without their leaves, we suggest finding them in the spring or summer when there are more clues to look for like flowers, fruit, and leaves. Look for plants that are mature and have numerous long, straight branches. Take a note of the location or flag the specific plants you wish to make cuttings from so you can find them later.

Remember: Never take more than 30% of the parent plant when making cuttings. Good cutting blocks (the plants that you take cuttings from) will regenerate and can offer healthy material for years if treated with care.

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Step 2. Make cuttings from healthy plants.

Cut 2-6 foot branches from recent growth.

Young growth is more likely to establish from a cutting than older stems. For this reason, look for shinier and more brightly colored branches, particularly in willow and dogwood. After you have cut a long branch from your mature plant this can be divided into multiple cuttings.

Cuttings that are 2-6 feet long are usually most successful because they can be driven further into the ground where it remains wetter for longer.

If needed, create multiple cuttings from a single branch.

After making an extra-long cutting, place it on the ground and prune off any bulky side branches and remove leaves. Then make diagonal cuts in whatever interval you choose, between 2-6 feet. It’s important to differentiate top from bottom! Stakes don’t grow upside down.

Make horizontal cuts across the top of the stake just above where the new bud will sprout. At a minimum, cuttings should be at least one foot long, ½ an inch wide (roughly thumb-sized), and include at least two leaf joints.

Keep it organized.

Organize your cuttings in a pile with all the horizontal cuts (the top) facing the same way. Bundle your stakes with twine in clusters to make it easy to transport.

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Step 3. Stake your fresh cuttings.

Be quick! Cuttings are at risk of quickly drying out and should be installed the same day they are harvested. If you cannot put them in the ground on the same day they were cut, store them in a cool, moist, shaded place and wet them thoroughly every day. By doing this you may keep them alive for several weeks.

Identify locations with the appropriate conditions for your cuttings.

It’s important to install cuttings in conditions that are appropriate for the species. Each plant has unique growing conditions – make sure to pick the right plant for the location. Do you need short plants? Tall plants? Plants that can survive a shady backyard corner? Plants along the sides of a wetland in wet soils? Wet places such as streambanks, pond edges, and seasonally flooded areas are locations where staking will be most effective. When planting along streamsides, plant them at the top of the bank to ensure they aren’t washed away during heavy rains and high flow.

Right click the table below and open in a new tab or download the PDF to see what growing conditions are needed for each plant.

Download table as a PDF

How to install your cuttings.

Staking cuttings in lines helps to fill in as much space as possible while ensuring each plant has enough room to grow. A common planting interval is one cutting every 2 to 4 feet. Adjust this spacing depending on your needs. When thinking about your spacing, remember not all the cuttings will survive.

Push or use a mallet to hammer cuttings into the soil at least half of the length of the stem. Leave several leaf nodes/buds exposed above the soil. In compacted or gravelly soils, you can use a piece of rebar to hammer starter holes to insert your cuttings into.

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Caring for plantings:

Plants installed by cutting and staking usually don’t need much care. If your native plants are put in the correct location, they won’t need to be watered and should start growing new shoots in the first growing season. If you’re noticing your stakes aren’t growing, several factors could be to blame:

  • They were installed upside down. Make sure the leaf nodes or buds are pointed upwards.
  • Wildlife are eating them. Many native shrub species are tasty to beavers, nutria, and deer.
  • The planting site doesn’t have enough moisture and/or light.
  • The cuttings were harvested too early or too late in the season.
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Watch our how-to video to see cutting and staking in action!

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A note on beavers:

Beavers are one of our region’s most interesting and influential residents. They provide far reaching benefits to our watershed but can also cause challenges for land managers. Many of the plants installed by cutting and staking, specifically willow species, will attract beaver to the area. To learn more about living with beavers and to assess whether their presence will be compatible to your property, check out these resources from the Tualatin River Watershed Council.

A note on trespassing:

Do not trespass in the pursuit of finding or making cutting materials! This could result in a dangerous situation for you and anyone else involved. Always ask permission before entering land that isn’t your own. Do not take cuttings from public parks and natural areas without first getting proper permission.

Planting Oregon White Oak Trees

November 17, 2022

Oak habitat is in decline

Oregon white oak trees (Quercus garryana) provide a key habitat in Washington County. Oak trees are known as a tolerant species that can survive droughts and resist fire and they support dozens of rare birds and wildlife species. Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District (Tualatin SWCD) is working to protect this unique and threatened Pacific Northwest habitat.

You can help by planting an oak tree

Majestic, unique, strong, resilient. There are so many reasons we love oak trees. Each oak tree provides habitat, food, shelter and shade for wildlife and people. And we see fewer and fewer each year. In Washington County there are plenty of open areas that would benefit from an oak tree.

Oregon white oak grow slowly. Give them extra care when you first plant them and you’ll be rewarded with a large, graceful tree that makes a big difference for wildlife across our watershed for years to come. As is the saying, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now!

Where to buy

You can find Oregon white oak trees (Quercus garryana) at many local nurseries in Washington County. Oregon white oak are fairly distinct from other oak trees with their rounded leaf lobes. We recommend going to a native plant nursery to find them. Another oak called English oak (Quercus robur) has similar rounded leaf lobes and could be mistaken for Oregon white oak.

Visit our friends at Backyard Habitat Certification Program for a great interactive website that can point you to available plant nurseries in the area.

Find Native Plants Nurseries

You can also grow your own oak tree from acorns! We will share more about how to do that below.


Choose your location thoughtfully

When planting, think about 100 years from now. How will a tree that can be 100 feet tall and just as wide fit into the space?

  • Pick a sunny location, oaks do best with full sun exposure
  • Give the tree at least 40-50 ft of space away from other trees and buildings
  • In the Willamette Valley most oak are found in lower elevations, below 2000 ft is a safe bet
  • If you plant a bigger tree (more than a few feet tall) you will need to water the tree the first summer or two to help it establish
  • Plant in an open area away from prolific weeds (avoid areas with Himalayan blackberry and Reed canary grass)
  • Don’t plant directly in standing water; oak can tolerate wet soils but we don’t recommend planting directly into a wetland

Planting and caring for your tree seedling

So the rainy season is upon us and you’re ready to put a new oak tree in the ground? You picked a spacious spot for your new tree and you have your materials ready to go. Here’s what to do next!

Essential supplies for seedling planting: oak seedling(s) & shovel.

Additional supplies: mulch & seedling protector tube(s).

Blue plastic tree tube protector
Tree seedling protector tubing
Small seedling available in a pot

Pro tips for a happy oak tree

Plant your tree in the fall and winter when soils are wet and cold, between November and February. This timing allows for the roots to establish before the warm and sunny growing season.

When planting:

  1. Plant into a hole as deep as the pot and plant the tree collar at the level of the soil (at the point where the roots join the stem). Fill in the hole with soil and push down the soil as you go to reduce the air pockets in the hole.
  2. Spread mulch (bark chips or leaf litter) a few inches thick around the base of the tree after planting. Leave a small gap a few inches wide between the mulch and the stem to allow the tree to breathe. Weed and mulch around the base annually until the tree has a chance to grow taller than the surrounding weeds.
  3. If you have wildlife like beaver and deer in the area, it’s a good idea to add a cage or tube around the tree for protection for the first few years. The tubes are also a great solution if you’re worried about stepping on or mowing over your new tree. Search for “seedling protectors” from forest supply companies online.

Keep an eye on your tree as it grows and water as necessary during the dry summer months. Smaller trees with healthy root systems (full of small fibrous roots) can survive without watering. Counterintuitively, large trees (those more than a couple feet tall) may need more help and more water in the first few summers in order to support their larger root system.

How-to video: planting oak seedlings

Starting an oak from an acorn

There’s no cheaper and more fulfilling way to plant an oak tree than to start one from an acorn. You will have the most success if you follow the natural oak cycle: collect acorns in the fall and put in the ground right away while it’s cold and wet outside. Be aware that acorn production has a natural ebb and flow, some years the forest floor will be full of acorns and other years it may be difficult to find even one. All the trees across an entire region will experience this phenomena, an amazing evolutionary tactic that we have many theories about ranging from pollination tactics, the spring weather, and the tree trying to outsmart pests and predators. No matter the cause, the result is that some years you may not find enough acorns to grow and will have to wait to try another year (or work that much harder to find a handful to grow).

Essential supplies for acorn growing: oak acorns, pot, bucket to float the acorn(s), potting soil & caging/protection.

5 Steps for Planting Acorns

Oregon white oak illustrations by Nora Sherwood

Collection: Gather your acorns between September through November directly from an Oregon white oak tree. Make sure you’re collecting from a healthy looking Oregon white oak tree (look for the round lobed leaves and round tree canopy).

Checking health: Once you’ve gathered your acorns remove those that have holes, a sign of insect damage. You can put the acorns in a bucket or jar of water overnight. The acorns that float are probably damaged and you can toss in the compost. Those that sink are ready for germination.

Potting: You can plant your acorns immediately after soaking them. Place them in a long treepot or 1 gallon nursery pot (search online for these or ask a local nursery). Fill your pot with an even mixture of outdoor soil (ideally from under an oak tree) and potting soil. Put the acorn sideways, 1/4 inch below the level of the soil and cover with soil. Cover the top of the pot with wire mesh or some form of breathable protection to keep critters away. You can expect a sprout to form in the spring. Keep the sprout protected and potted for a year or two, watering regularly in the summer.

Planting: After the seedling is two years old it’s big enough to plant outside. Look to our tree planting guidelines above for tips.

Storing: If you’re not ready to plant your acorns right away, dry them off and stick them in a fridge until you’re ready to plant. It’s best to plant within the same growth year (i.e. acorns collected in November should be planted before the following summer).

How-to video: planting oak acorns

Have questions about planting and caring for oak? Tualatin SWCD is happy to chat with you about Oregon white oak habitat in our region. Give us a call at 503-334-2288 or email us at habitat@tualatinswcd.org.

Growing Better Plants: Know Your Soil Texture

April 21, 2022

The key factors for growing food and healthy plants are soil, sun, air, water. Today, let’s focus on the basics of soil!

The soil you encounter outdoors differs from location to location based on the rocks in the area, which have eroded over time to create the soil. This physical basis of the soil is called soil texture and it’s the “feel” of the soil. It’s a property of the soil and is measured as the proportion of sand, silt, and clay particles. Texture affects a soil’s ability to drain water, allow air flow, and hold nutrients. Knowing your soil’s texture is a great starting place to knowing what your plants need to thrive.

Alt text : A black outline of a triangle including percentage measurements of 0-100% on all three sides. The location on the triangle indicates the name of the soil and the amount of clay, silt, and sand.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Soil Textural Triangle

One of the most common tools used to understand soil is the soil textural triangle. Developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in the first half of the 1900s, the triangle is still in use today. The triangle demonstrates the three primary mineral particles that give soil its texture and make up the non-living parts of the soil: clay, silt, and sand. Most natural soils have a mix of all three particles, in addition to a thriving system of living organisms, water, air, and organic matter.


SWCD Branded Separator

How can you determine the texture of your soil?

You can assess soil texture in minutes using the ribbon test!

  1. Collect a handful of soil from 3 – 4 inches below the surface.
  2. Break up the soil with your hand and remove rocks or large soil clumps that don’t break down.
  3. Mix a little bit of water into the soil (if it’s not already moist) and knead it until it feels like putty. If you add too much water, add more soil until you can easily roll the sample into a moist ball.
  4. If the sample never forms a ball, you have sandy soil.
  5. With the ball in one hand, gently squeeze and push the soil between your thumb and index finger to create a ribbon. If the soil breaks before it forms a ribbon, you have loamy sand.
  6. Push the soil until the ribbon breaks under its own weight. The ability to form a ribbon and the length of the ribbon indicate the soil type.

Reading your results:

No ball formsSand
No ribbon formsLoamy sand
Less than 1 inchSandy loam, silt loam, loam
1 to 2 inchesSandy clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Over 2 inchesSandy clay, silty clay, or clay

To further differentiate the soil after the ribbon test, take a small pea-sized amount of soil and wet it in the palm of your hand. Rub your finger over the soil in your palm.

  • Sand is the largest soil particle. A sandy soil will feel very gritty when rubbed between your fingers.
  • Silt is the second-largest particle. A silty soil will feel smooth and silky. It is often compared to the feeling of flour.
  • Clay is the smallest particle. Heavy clay soils feel sticky when wet and can look like cat litter when dry. Clay soil is difficult to determine by feel and is usually determined by the absence of an overwhelming feeling of grit or smooth texture.

Finding the texture of soil takes practice. Even soil scientists disagree about a soil’s texture! But with more practice you can start to understand differences that impact your plants.

This guide was prepared based on the USDA NRCS “Guide to Texture by Feel”

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What does soil texture mean for your plants?

In Washington County, Oregon, we most often encounter silt loam, silty clay loam, and clay soils.

If you have sandy soil (more sand than clay or silt), your soil will hold fewer nutrients and water. Plants that thrive in dry conditions will do well. Plants will need frequent watering and fertilizing in sandy soil.

If you have silty soil (more silt than sand or clay), your soil holds nutrients and water fairly well (though not as well as clay). Most plants will do well with routine watering and fertilizing. Applications of organic matter can help create better soil structure.

If you have clay soil (more clay than sand or silt), your soil holds nutrients and water. Plants that don’t mind being in wet environments will do well in clay because it takes a long time for water to drain from the soil. Plants will need fewer nutrients and water and will do well with more applications of organic matter to allow air flow and water movement.

If you have loamy soil (a mix of sand, clay, and silt), your soil is well-balanced and most plants will thrive with routine watering and fertilizing.

More resources to know your soil!

  • Learn more about soil characteristics and tests.
  • Print out our handy Do-It-Yourself Soil Testing handout to practice soil texturing and measure your soil’s biological activity.
  • Consider the importance of healthy soil for growing your own food.

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