Mock Orange Hedge

Mock Orange Shrub, or Philadelphus inodorus, is a wonderful plant to use in a hedge row. I currently have four of these shrubs along the edge of my driveway. This piece of garden divides my yard from my neighbors yard, so the Mock Orange makes for a beautiful privacy screen.

The Mock Orange is just now passing full bloom, but is remains a wonderful green addition to this border. For the past few weeks, I've been taking branch cuttings to root new shrubs.

Typically, cuttings are easier to root when you take the young spring tips - or soft wood cuttings - but I've also had success with hard wood cuttings in the fall. To root this wonderful shrub, cut pencil thin branches about one foot long. Strip the leaves from the branch, dip the cut end in rooting hormone and "plant" the branch in a soil mixture of three parts sand to one part garden soil.

Keep these cuttings in a shady spot out of direct sunlight and keep the soil moist. I have a rooting bed under some large trees that allow my cuttings to get morning sun but no afternoon sun. I monitor these cuttings through the summer and by October there is new growth present on the branches.

Over-winter in your rooting bed, making sure to monitor moisture. When spring arrives, the cuttings should have an established root system and they are ready to be transplanted into a permanent location.

This method of rooting cuttings allows me to increase the number of plants in my gardens without the extra expense.