Creative Gardens Q&A - Cuttings

QUESTION

I have some pretty flowering Hebes in my garden. I would like to try taking cuttings from them. Any tips?

ANSWER

Spring is the perfect time to take Softwood cuttings and Hebes can be easily multiplied this way. You need to wait until the shrub has produced some nice fresh new growth.

Here is what you need; a good clean sharp knife, horticultural sand, peat or seed and cutting compost, hormone rooting powder, a pot or seed tray, label and pencil and a watering can.

Choose a good healthy plant that has produced some nice fresh new growth. Choose a non flowering stem and make the cut just below a node (the swollen part of the stem where the leaf is). Your cutting should be about 7 – 10 cm long, that’s 3 – 4 inches.

Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the base in the rooting powder.  This will encourage roots to develop.

Fill a pot or tray with a 50/50 mix of peat and sand. Place your cuttings carefully in the pot.

Don’t let your cuttings dry out. You can purchase a mini propagator quite cheaply which is ideal for controlling humidity and can be used for seeds as well as cuttings.

Water and label your cuttings and keep them in a bright area but away from direct sunlight.

After a few weeks check if your cuttings have rooted by gently placing a dibber underneath and lift cuttings to expose root system. When there are plenty of roots produced pot the cuttings in to single 3” or 4” pots and when the roots have filled these pot on into a larger pot. Eventually by next year you will have a small shrub ready to plant in your garden or why not give the lovely gift of a home grown shrub to a friend!