Taking cuttings

Mid-July on-wards is traditionally the time for taking semi-ripe cuttings. In times past, gardeners would ensure their stocks of favourite shrubs and tender plants would remain or even increase using this method.

Does this happen now? 
Well in my garden yes, and no. Yes for some plants I can't purchase easily, and yes for some plants that are firm favourites, and yes to increase the stock of plants now I am in a new bigger garden; and no for other plants that I know I will acquire handily enough next Spring or receive donations of.

The sequence of photos show how I went about taking some cuttings of Hypericum. It's a tough main-stay shrub providing plenty of yellow flowers through the Summer months.

Firstly fill some pots with seed and cutting compost. You can buy this mix readily enough. Water it, preferably with luke warm water.

Now, the cuttings are easily done.

You take some pieces of this years non-flowering growth, that is beginning to harden up, but is not quite woody; cut them about finger length, with the lower cut below some leaf nodes; pull the leaves off the lower half and dip the cuttings into a mixture of water with a small amount of rooting hormone powder.

Next step is to make a hole on the compost with a pencil; pop the cutting in and press the soil in around it. Place 3-4 cuttings per pot (as per picture). Add a little more water, a label, and job done!


Some people will then cover them with an translucent plastic bag, or a soda bottle with the bottom cut off. This year I am not covering them, but misting them twice a day. 

Let's see what happens.

Place the pot on a bright windowsill, but not in direct sunlight.

When your taking cuttings, take them in early morning or late evening. Use clean tools and fresh compost. If your a beginner, start with something easy, like Fuchsia.

If it doesn't work first time, try again. 

It's fun and you'll soon have more plants than you can throw a stick at!!