Shrubs and vines are formidable barriers when planted along property borders or anywhere else that animal or individual trespassing has to be controlled. When planting such obstacles, using indigenous shrubs and vines helps to guarantee the plants will prosper. Utilizing native plants also eliminates concerns about whether or not they are invasive species. California indigenous shrubs and vines, like the California coffeeberry (Frangula californica) and the vine maple (Acer circinatum), make useful obstacles or hedges and are commonly propagated from cuttings.
Place peat-based potting soil in a 6- to 8-inch broad container that has drainage holes. Fill the container with the dirt to 1/2 to 1 inch below its top. Pour a small number of room-temperature water over the potting soil. Stir the potting soil, and add more water, if necessary, until the ground is thoroughly moistened.
Collect softwood shrub or vine cuttings in daytime in mid- to late spring or early summer Cut the very top finish of a shrub or vine branch 4 to 6 inches below the branch’s tip and 1/4 to 1/2 inch above a leaf. Make sure a branch is soft and pliable before cutting it. Don’t take cuttings from divisions which have flowers or flower buds. Use sharp scissors or hand pruners to create each cut. Wrap the cuttings in a moist paper towel.
Poke 1-inch deep holes in the potting soil with a screwdriver. Space the holes 2 to 3 inches apart. Place a small amount of rooting hormone at a small, shallow container. Use sharp scissors or hand pruners to cut the leaves from the lower 2 inches of each cutting. Pull the reduced end of each cutting to the rooting hormone, and tap on the cutting gently around the side of the container to knock off excess rooting hormone. Stick each cutting to a 1-inch deep hole in the potting soil. Push the dirt around and up each cutting’s stem from hand.
Place the container of cuttings within a big, plastic bag, and seal the bag almost all the way. An option is to set over the cuttings a 2-liter, plastic bottle which has its cap and bottom eliminated. The result is a small terrarium. Place the terrarium in a bright area that’s from direct sunlight. Maintain a soil temperature of 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a spray bottle to mist the cuttings daily with room-temperature water. Keep the potting soil uniformly moist but not soggy.
Remove the plastic bag or jar after one week, then pull gently on the cuttings, and set the plastic bag or jar back into position. You’ll notice some resistance when you pull on the cuttings if they grew roots. Check the cuttings once each week until you notice resistance when you pull on them gently. Remove the plastic bag or jar two to three months following the cuttings start to grow roots. Reduce the frequency of watering, and gradually increase the quantity of direct sunlight exposure the vines or shrubs get for many weeks until they are used to the quantity of sunlight they’ll get when planted outdoors to form the barrier.
Plant the little vines or shrubs outside the exact same thickness in the ground they were in their own container’s potting soil. Space them far enough apart to allow their adult width to form the barrier. Water them as often as required to maintain their soil uniformly moist, not muddy, for the first year. Spread a two- to 3-inch deep layer of mulch over their root canals to help retain moisture. Give them a 16-4-8, 12-6-6 or 12-4-8 shrub and vine fertilizer only after they start to develop new leaves.