Hi, I wish to take a cutting from a very old plum tree in Northland. When is the best time to do this and how?

Hi Wendy, plums can be propagated from seed or from cuttings. Trees grown from seed may vary from the original parent tree, depending upon the variety. Cuttings are the best way to get a tree that is the same as the parent tree. Not all trees are successfully propagated from cuttings, but plums are. Cuttings can be taken now, winter is the best time to take hardwood cuttings. Take a healthy side shoot that is approximately 10-15cm long, avoid weak spindly growth or a vigorous water shoot, make sure the cut is just below a node or bud on the branch. This is where the highest concentration of naturally occurring plant rooting hormones are. Make a cut above a node at the top of the cutting. Make sure the cut is made with sharp secateurs so it is clean to prevent disease entering. On the bottom of the cutting make a small slither downwards approximately 10mm long and dip the cutting into a rooting hormone powder or gel, this will help stimulate new roots. Place the cuttings in the garden where you want them to grow and they will be kept moist, or into a pot filled with a free draining potting mix (or coarse pumice). Because there are no leaves on the cutting, they don't need covering with plastic, as long as the soil remains moist over winter. In spring, flowers will appear before shoots, remove the flowers. Check out our how to grow cuttings guide which may be of some help here: https://tuigarden.co.nz/ideas-and-inspiration/cuttings-grow-guide/   The Tui Team.