Roadside Revegetation

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES
Pole Cuttings – Pole cuttings (Figure 10-73C) are large diameter (3- to 6-inch)
main stems that have all side branches with the top 1 to 2 feet of stem removed.
They are used in restoration projects where stability is a main concern. Because
of the large size of the plant material necessary for pole cuttings, nursery
stooling beds are ideal. Larger trees, such as cottonwoods and tree-sized
willows (e.g., Goodding’s willow [Salix goodding]), have primarily been used
for pole cuttings. Other large woody plants with the potential to sprout may
also prove to be viable material (Dreesen and Harrington 1997).
A – Live Stake
1 to 3 inches
B – Branched Cutting
0.5 to 2 inches
4 to 15 feet
C – Pole Cutting
3 to 6 inches
Develop Timeline
Obtaining cutting materials from established stooling beds takes between
1 and 5 years, depending on the type of material. A minimum of one year is
necessary to produce branched cuttings; 2 to 4 years to produce live stakes;
and pole cutting may require over 4 years (Figure 10-74). In the planning
stages of the revegetation project, the number, type, and species of cuttings
needed for the project must be determined. Procedures for making these
calculations are outlined in Section 10.2.2.6, Determine Cutting Needs.
Nurseries or government facilities that specialize in stooling bed production
must be contacted to see if they will establish stooling beds for your project.
The managers of these facilities will inform you of costs and the time frame
for meeting your orders. While there will be some cutting materials produced
in the first year, full production of stooling beds does not happen until several
years after installation.
Most stooling beds are started from cuttings taken from the wild. The sources
of starter material must be located in the field during the summer or fall prior
to installation of the beds. The sexual identity of dioecious plants must be
determined during the appropriate season prior to collection. Section 10.2.2.3,
Locate Cutting Areas, gives an outline of the steps necessary to obtain starter material. The
nursery managers will tell you the number of feet of starter material, the quality of the wild
collections (age, size, condition), and packaging and shipping methods necessary to meet
the order. Wild cuttings are collected when the leaves are off the plants. Depending on the
climate of the site, collections can begin in mid to late fall and end from late winter to mid
spring. Wild cuttings are usually sent immediately to the nursery where they are prepared for
installing in stooling beds. Most stooling beds are started directly from cuttings that are stuck
in the spring. Cuttings root quickly in the spring and, with irrigation and fertilization, grow into
large plants by the end of the summer. The following winter, the beds are ready for harvest.
Since stooling beds are relatively uniform, the material can be harvested and processed in a
18 to 24 inches
6 to 8 feet
Figure 10-73 | Different
cutting types serve unique
purposes in revegetation
Several types of hardwood cuttings
can be obtained from stooling beds,
including cuttings for propagation at
the nursery or live stakes and branched
cuttings for restoration projects. Note
that larger plant materials require extra
time to produce.
Tasks
Determine cutting needs
Obtain “starter” material
Develop & award contract
Work with growers
Store and install cuttings
Cutting Production
Road Construction
Install Cuttings
-3 -2 -1 0 1
Year
Figure 10-74 | Plan early to ensure
cuttings are ready for a project
Obtaining cutting materials from stooling beds can take up
to four years, depending on the type of material requested.
Branched cuttings can be obtained from stooling beds
after the first growing season, while live stakes can take
from 2 to 4 years. Pole cuttings can take even longer. The
following is a timeline for producing branched cuttings and
some smaller live stakes. Add several years for large stakes
and some poles.
Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat
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