Harvesting Plant Cuttings Course | Polster Environmental

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Harvesting tools from David Polster’s PES teaching material: saws, pruning shears, loppers and a measuring stick.

Getting the cuttings right is half the job. The most carefully installed wattle fence or live stake program will underperform if the plant material was harvested at the wrong time, handled carelessly, or stored improperly. This micro course covers dormancy timing, species selection, handling, storage, and pre-installation preparation.

Two preparation details to check

These field photographs show two different trimming decisions before dormant cuttings are bundled or stored.

Clean side branch cut on a dormant willow stem for soil bioengineering — **Clean side-branch cut.** Side branches are trimmed close to the main stem.

Cutting a dormant stem above a fork when it becomes too small for live staking — **Cut above a fork.** Cut above a fork once the stem is below useful diameter.

Field references

Connect this course to the field

Use these public references alongside the lessons for quick method details, project context, and source material.

Harvesting CuttingsKeep the public field reference open for timing, handling, and preparation.Willows for Soil BioengineeringReview six BC willow species and their site relationships.Cottonwood, Dogwood and AlderCompare the roles of companion woody species.

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Printable field reference

A supplementary field companion for timing, species and source fit, handling, storage, and installation preparation. It is a learning companion, not a site design or performance guarantee.

Download Harvesting Plant Cuttings field reference (PDF, 4.8 KB, 1 page)