I agree, planting tree seeds will also maintain genetic diversity, as all cuttings are genetic clones of the original plant, so planting cuttings actually decreases genetic diversity. Taken to the extreme, that could lead to them all being killed by a virulent disease or predator, as sometimes happens to other man-made genetic monocultures. In nature, genetic variation would likely lead to a few trees being resistant to said disease, so surviving to pass that resistance on to the next generation.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
You want to know how to grow trees in the future? Plant acorns, chestnuts, beech nuts and hazelnuts. They’ll grow just as fast or even faster than cuttings … and be much less hassle. 😊
Good to know that they grow fast. How much faster? So much faster than it would be worth searching for the nuts and planting them?
See, my thinking was cuttings are simpler to collect... Acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts and hazelnuts must be collected from the ground or purchased. Cuttings could come from a minimal, easy to find location, that is above the ground. i.e. a tree, or group of trees.
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How much faster?
So much faster than it would be worth searching for the nuts and planting them?
See, my thinking was cuttings are simpler to collect...
Acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts and hazelnuts must be collected from the ground or purchased.
Cuttings could come from a minimal, easy to find location, that is above the ground. i.e. a tree, or group of trees.
I have found some insights from this site https://garden.org/thread/view/156039/Has-there-been-any-research-on-the-take-rate-of-conifer-cuttings/
Namely, this excerpt.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.