When that huge body of water freezes over for the winter, it is slow to thaw and warm up. Therefore, the temperature here stays a little cooler in the spring. Of course it works just the opposite in the fall and the lake is usually responsible for sparing us from the first few frosts. Softwood cuttings of many deciduous plants root very quickly and easily under the right conditions. Controlling the conditions is critical.
Softwood cuttings are very delicate and can dehydrate very easily, especially under the summer sun.
However, with the warm temperatures of June, and the tenderness of softwood cuttings, root development will occur very quickly, if you can keep the cuttings from dehydrating. The absolute best way to root softwood cuttings is by sticking them in a bed of very course sand and watering them very lightly for just a few seconds, every five or ten minutes, for a period of two to six weeks. Of course this is impossible, unless you have an automatic watering system known as an intermittent mist system. Knowing what it does gives you an idea of what conditions you must try and create in order to achieve success with softwood cuttings at home, without expensive equipment. Preparing a softwood cutting is easy.