Growing poplar straight and round for arrow shafts?

[cdpbrewer]

Has anyone tried anything like this before? 

It's a branch cut from a hybrid poplar stuck in the ground for rooting with a  section of 1/2" CPVC pipe over its aboveground part.   All but a few leaves at the top were removed- there were no side-shoots.  These shoots root really well and grow better than weeds.  As it grows, lower leaves and any side branches will gradually be removed and another section of pipe added when it gets to ~3 long.  Will also lash the pipe to a board or something to keep it straight and vertical. 

In any event, I'll post a followup on how the experiment goes.

c.d.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Cool. So I can cut a poplar shoot, stick it in the ground, and it turns into a tree?

[cdpbrewer]

The cuttings root very easily but this is a hybrid poplar- not the common yellow poplar.  Don't know if the later will root.   The two younger trees in the attached pic were started as branches with the bottom 6" stuck in a hole in the ground.   No rooting hormone was used.

FWIW, I've tried making arrows out of branches but they break too easily when trying to straighten them where side branches, and sometimes just leaves grew.   The pipe is to prevent leaves and branches from growing and, hopefully, make for straight shaft material.   

[Slackbunny]

Interesting. In theory it should work. I look forward to hearing more about this.

[cdpbrewer]

The experiment of growing poplar shoots in CPVC pipe was a failure. 

The poplar rootings failed because I didn't water them as much as I should have. 

So, I stuck some 3' sections of 1/2" CPVC over some ~4' long shoots on the the poplar trees after removing all the leaves from the shoots and removing adjacent shoots that would shade them.   The shoots above the pipe sections leafed out and grew in length and diameter.   Cut them off and found water had collected in the pipe segments between the pipe and shoots.   Removed the poplar shoots from the pipe (lots of hammering and cutting of the PVC).   They were straight but he bark was black from the water and the wood was very flimsy.  Dried the shoots anyway.  The were very weak in spline.   I'm guessing the water was the culprit.   

c.d.

[Tetsuoh]

might be an easy fix of drilling holes near the bottom of the pipe to keep water from collecting.

[Pat B]

For shoot arrows you want to use shoots that are at least 2 years old. First year shoots will be pretty flimsy for a good arrow. When you cut one of the poplars let the shoots grow for 2 years before harvesting.