From Clipping to Pot

North Florida August is a wet month. Afternoon storms stack up over Black Hammock Island, the growing yard stays damp for days, and a cutting that would have dried out in April just sits there and roots.

That is the month we have been waiting for.

What a Cutting Wants

A cutting is a short piece of this year's wood. Walter's viburnum (Viburnum obovatum) and dwarf yaupon (Ilex vomitoria 'Schillings') both take from a four-inch tip, a clean cut just below a node, and a tray of coarse mix. Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is even less fussy. Stick it, keep it wet, and it puts out roots before the berries color up.

What they all want is the same thing. Steady moisture. No wilt. No baking.

August hands that over for free.

The Move Into a Pot

Once the roots show, the cutting leaves the tray. It goes into a small pot first, then a gallon on the bench under the pines. The rain that rooted it will keep watering it there too, as long as the pot can drain.

The work this month is the potting, not the watering. Trays get emptied. Gallons get lined up in the shade. The plants that started as clippings in early summer are now sitting in the same yard as the seed-grown coontie and the liners we bought in.

Why We Waited for the Rain

A cutting in March needs a hose and a lot of attention. A cutting in August needs a tray and a little patience. The storms do the daily work. We spend the dry hours moving plants that are ready.

That is the whole August job. Take what has rooted, give it a pot, and let the next storm settle it in.