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["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

The shoots were cut in late September when they still had leaves, since the reason for cutting them was to feed caterpillars.  The caterpillars ate part of the leaves and used some to make cocoons.  This species of caterpillar makes a cocoon by tying the leaf to the stem, then it lines the leaf with silk, ties the edges together, and makes a cocoon inside that.  The shoots on which all of this was happening were left in the jar of water to keep them fresh. When all the caterpillars had spun cocoons, the cage was put in an unheated shed where the temperatures never got to freezing, but stayed cool all winter.  When the cage was brought out recently, the cut shoots were found to have rooted and were breaking bud, pushing new shoots only a week or two behind the tree outside.  
That's as much as I can tell you about it.    To duplicate it, you would at least have to try putting shoots in water in the fall, and leave them all winter.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On May 4, 2006, at 6:07 AM, Mark and Piper wrote:

Lon,
I may try to reproduce your results inside my frig with some sweet cherry cuttings.  I wonder if the wood needs to be dormant for rooting to occur?  If not, I can probably go out now and cut a few sticks and have them rooted by the middle of summer.
-Mark
> <x-tad-bigger>----- Original Message -----</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>From:</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> </x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>Lon J. Rombough</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> </x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>To:</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> </x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>NAFEX</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> </x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>Sent:</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> Monday, May 01, 2006 1:17 PM</x-tad-bigger>
> <x-tad-bigger>Subject:</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> [NAFEX] Unusual rooting experience</x-tad-bigger>
>
> My son was raising Luna moth caterpillars last fall, which feed on cherry. There is a Prunus pennsylvanica (so-called "pin cherry") in the yard that has dark red leaves and he cut shoots of that. To keep them fresh, the stems were put in water. Some of the caterpillars made cocoons in leaves on those shoots. The whole cage was put away in a cool shed for the winter as the cocoons won't hatch until spring anyway, and when it was brought out a week ago to await hatching of the moths, the cherry shoots, which had been in water all winter, were rooted and starting to grow.
> I don't know how easily the species roots from cuttings, but it's the first time I've seen anything other than willow root that easily just sitting in water for so many months. Might be worth exploring further as a way to root other prunus.
> -Lon Rombough
> Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
>
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