Live staking is one of the most practical and cost-effective bioengineering techniques available for slope and streambank stabilisation. It is also one of the most frequently done wrong. The difference between a successful live staking program and a failed one often comes down to how the cuttings were collected, handled, and stored before installation.
This post covers the field protocol for cutting collection as practised by Polster Environmental Services: the timing, species selection, collection sites, cutting technique, and handling procedures that produce the sprouting rates the method is known for.
Species Selection
Not every woody plant can be live staked. The technique depends on the ability of a dormant stem cutting to produce roots and shoots before it desiccates. The species that do this reliably in British Columbia are:
- Willows (Salix spp.) are the most reliable and widely applicable. Sitka willow, Scouler's willow, shining willow, and sandbar willow are the most common in BC bioengineering work. Willows root aggressively from cut stems and tolerate a wide range of site conditions.
- Black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) is well suited for riparian areas and wetter slope situations. Cuttings need to be harvested before bud break and planted promptly.
- Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) is well suited to riparian margins and moist slopes. Root production is good from dormant cuttings.
- Alders (Alnus spp.) are particularly useful on mine sites because of the nitrogen-fixing relationship with Frankia alni. Green alder and Sitka alder are the most commonly used in BC.
Timing: The Dormant Window
Cuttings must be harvested during full dormancy, after leaves have dropped in fall and before bud break in spring. In most of BC, this window runs from late October through to late February or early March, depending on elevation and year. The window closes as soon as buds begin to swell.
Early harvest (late fall) produces cuttings that can be cold-stored for later installation. Spring harvest, as close to installation as possible, minimises storage time and generally can reduce storage time, but requires careful monitoring of bud development.
Where to Collect
Good collection sites exist throughout BC wherever utilities and transportation agencies maintain corridors. Railroad rights-of-way and transmission line corridors are regularly cleared of woody vegetation. With permission, material that would otherwise be chipped or burned is available for collection at little cost. These locations often support dense, vigorous stands of exactly the willow and cottonwood species needed.
Collection from roadsides, riparian buffers, and adjacent natural areas is also common, with landowner permission. The goal is vigorous, healthy parent material with straight growth and no sign of disease or insect damage.
Cutting Protocol
Choose the cutting dimensions for the treatment. In Living on the Edge, printed page 35, David Polster describes stem material around 60–100 cm long, with longer material for some uses, and a tip diameter of at least 2.5 cm. Length must allow for the required burial and exposed stem.
Cut the butt end at an angle (prevents the installer from confusing the orientation and planting upside-down). Cut the top flat. Remove leaves by stripping from butt to tip. This reduces transpiration loss during handling and storage.
Bundle cuttings in manageable groups of 25–50, with all butts facing the same direction. Tie with biodegradable twine. Label with species and collection date.
Handling and Storage
Cuttings desiccate quickly. From the moment of harvest, the goal is to keep the butt end wet and the cutting cool. Stand fresh bundles upright in water immediately after cutting. For storage longer than a few days, heel the bundles into moist sand or sawdust in a cool, shaded location, or cold-store at 2–4°C.
Cuttings stored correctly can remain viable for 4–6 weeks. Beyond that, viability declines and sprouting rates drop. The protocol on PES projects is to install cuttings as close to harvest as practical, ideally the same day or within 48 hours.
Installation
On slopes and banks, cuttings are typically installed by driving them into the prepared substrate at a slight angle, leaving 10–20% of the cutting exposed above the surface. On rough and loose mine sites, cuttings can be inserted deeply into the loosened substrate by hand or with a dibble bar.
The combination of surface treatment and correctly harvested, promptly installed cuttings is what produces the strong sprouting reported at sites such as Butler Bros. The method is straightforward, but handling matters.
PES provides training in cutting collection, live staking installation, and the full range of soil bioengineering techniques. The online course covers technique and theory; on-site training is available through direct consultation. Learn more.