Plants for free
Somewhat surprisingly, given the heat of late summer, February can be a good month for taking
cuttings and propagating your own plants. Why? Because, by late summer, soft new spring growth
has hardened and the cutting is less likely to lose water from the leaves.
Semi-succulent plants like geraniums (Pelargoniums) or New Guinea impatiens are easiest for
beginners, but many common shrubs such as abelia, gardenia, buxus, camellias, azaleas, fuchsias
and grevilleas have a relatively high success rate.
The trick when growing plants from cuttings lies in keeping the cut pieces alive while they develop
their own new roots. Professional nurserymen do this by growing cuttings in glasshouses where
they’re regularly misted with fine sprays of water. But there are lots of techniques that can help a
home gardener to achieve success. Try these:
- Take cuttings early in the morning, while it’s still cool. Choose tip pieces that are about 100-
150 mm long. Wrap immediately in damp newspaper and then in plastic.
- Work in the shade. Fill pots with Yates Seed Raising Mix and water well. Allow to drain.
- Trim the base of the cutting so that it ends just below a leaf node (where the leaf is, or has
been, attached to the stem).
- Remove bottom leaves, leaving a few at the top. Large leaves can be cut in half (with
scissors or sharp secateurs) to further reduce water loss.
- Dip the base of the cutting in water and then into Yates Cutting Powder or Clonex Gel.
Shake off excess powder.
- Use a pencil to poke vertical holes in the top of the mix. A 150mm pot can hold about six
cuttings.
- Push the base of each cutting into a hole and gently move the mix back to hold it in place.
- When the pot is full of cuttings, water carefully.
- Next, spray the cuttings with Yates DroughtShield. This amazing product reduces water loss
from the leaves.
- Place the pot in a lightly shaded spot, out of direct sunlight.
- Ideally, cover with plastic wrap (use wire or stakes to keep the wrap off the cuttings) or, better
still, sit the pot(s) inside a Yates Mini Greenhouse. The greenhouse has adjustable vents that
allow more air movement around the cuttings as they develop.
- Check regularly to make sure the mix stays moist.
- After a couple of months, gently move the stems to feel if they’re firm. This indicates root
formation. When roots are established, new plants can be moved into individual pots filled
with good quality potting mix (Yates Premium) and fed with a gentle liquid fertiliser such as
Yates Nature’s Way Fish Emulsion.
Comments (31)
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julie
Yates site member
08:40, 10 February 2010
thanks for this interesting and useful information, not being a green thumb I need all the advise I can get. will try this. thanks julie
Mariana
Yates site member
08:42, 10 February 2010
great advise,thank you
Rona
Yates site member
08:48, 10 February 2010
Thank you. I will give this a go.
Collin
Yates site member
08:54, 10 February 2010
An old large wire hanging basket covered in Gladwrap placed upside down over cuttings in a pot makes a better cover than the bag on wires or stakes - easier to lift off for misting, can be propped up a little on one side for ventilation later. can accommodate two or three small pots.
Narelle
Yates site member
09:04, 10 February 2010
I've just bought a greenhouse, so intend to grow some new cuttings this year.
Jill
Yates site member
09:07, 10 February 2010
thanks for some great advise ,can you use DROUGHT SHIELD for other plants that are having a hard time through summer JILL
Anthony
Yates site member
09:13, 10 February 2010
THANKS for the great advice.Looking forward to see how I go with my first FREE plants.
annette
Yates site member
09:20, 10 February 2010
thank you i shall see if my green thumb will work better than in the past, with your good advice. annette
barbara
Yates site member
09:25, 10 February 2010
This is one of my favourite emails - so helpful too. I do have a green thumb and have used cuttings forever. When I moved to my present home it did not have any garden (in a village) however now, with cuttings from friends, I have a lovely garden. And with two cement laundry tubs up on a stand, waist high, I have a thriving vegetable garden, big enough for one and easy to keep weeded as I find it hard to bend now. THANKS YATES
kate
Yates site member
09:38, 10 February 2010
i love this idea & have grown plants from cuttings in the past, with a low success rate! even if you only get a couple that work, it is still worth it. thanks for the advice - it all helps!
Diane
Yates site member
10:01, 10 February 2010
I will try this. Thanks Yates
Lynn
Yates site member
10:19, 10 February 2010
Good information, easy to understand.
joe
Yates site member
11:31, 10 February 2010
i use empty plastic 1.25 or 2 litre soft drink bottles just cut in half around the centre punch some small holes in the bottom and take the lid of the top then use these to cover the cuttings making two mini green houses out of each bottle and they fit perfectly inside the top of 4&6 inch pots cheap and recyclable i also cover my drippers with the tops and bottoms cut smaller when i bury my drippers under mulch thus keeping the dirt &mulch out of the drippers
Henry
Yates site member
11:54, 10 February 2010
As I am reletively new to gardening.Your web site garden club is a great inspration and learning tool.I have suffred a stroke and my escape is my garden.Thank You.
Christine
Yates site member
12:38, 10 February 2010
I really appreciate the advice on propogating - I always enjoy having a go at striking new plants for family and friends.
Regina
Yates site member
12:54, 10 February 2010
I have even used this method on roses. I had an heirloom rose on a property we were selling and successfully grew a new rose. Have done so twice more as we have moved on.
Ronelle
Yates site member
13:36, 10 February 2010
Great advice, I have found that to strike lavender it is best to use a high proportion of sand in the mix; a higher proportion of cuttings take root.
Catheryn
Yates site member
13:58, 10 February 2010
My sister thinks i am silly for reading my emails like i do but yours she agrees with me it is one of the better ones & i need as much help as i can in the garden, I can cook anything but garden not so much....
Mae
Yates site member
14:16, 10 February 2010
thanks for your advice. I decided to use seed raising soil because my cutting not all succesfull in using potting mix. I used cutting in rose,yesterday-today-tomorrow etc. Can I use for vegie?
Glen & Marie
Yates site member
14:35, 10 February 2010
For us the Yates advice and newsletter has given us great enjoyment. The hints are so good. Yates products are the best. Thank you very much.
cecilia
Yates site member
15:00, 10 February 2010
good info - the newsletter gives such useful tips for home gardeners
Gwen
Yates site member
15:42, 10 February 2010
I realy love your emails. They help me a lot.Thanks
don
Yates site member
17:37, 10 February 2010
In the past I have been very succesfull with Abelia,geraniam,and even sage. But can I take cuttings from a Lasiandra? Thanks Don
Patricia
Yates site member
18:51, 10 February 2010
I look forward to the Yates newsletter each month to see what I have to do in the garden that I might have forgotten and what to plant in our sub tropical area. Thanks Yates
Jan
Yates site member
00:31, 11 February 2010
Have had very limited success with geraniums and pelagoniums but will try again. Maybe my mistake was using potting mix instead of seed raising mix???
Jillian
Yates site member
07:11, 11 February 2010
Hi Jan, I live in a harsh climate (wheat belt WA)and personally find that sticking my geranium and pelagonium cuttings in a jar/vase of water until they develop a root system, then plant into potting mix or into the garden to be most successful. This also works well for impatients, only don't over fill with water with these just keep the bottom couple of cm covered or they may rot before developing roots. For more tricky cuttings I add a few drops of rooting gel to the water at .first
Sylvia
Yates site member
07:11, 11 February 2010
Thank you for your advice for my Proteas I tried the seaweed food not only on them but also on a few other plants - my garden looks great. Unfortunately the 'Dead protea is still dead' although the matching protea is thriving I will give it another month of your treatment and if it does not come good - I will go back to Bunnings & replace it. The Lemon Tree is so laden with fruit my neighbours are overjoyed as the lemons hang over the fence right above their BBQ area. Thanks Sylvia
Thelma
Yates site member
07:18, 11 February 2010
I love getting the Yates News Letters because there is always interesting things you can read about and the tips are great .. Not having much luck with my Mandarin Tree producing Fruit it is now 4 years old.
Douglas
Yates site member
12:44, 11 February 2010
Great tips i go through the emails for all the tips an am having success with my lemon tree through the advice i receive on your web site so thanks for that
George N.
Yates site member
14:51, 11 February 2010
To be healthy, one should be 80% Alkaline & 20% Acid and the main Alkaline food to eat is vegetables and Some fruit (the sugary fruit is acidic ~ best fruit to eat is Avocado (at least one per day) the greener the vegetable the more Alkaline it is and the better for your health ~ the body make Bi- Carbonated Soda(Sodiam) to Alkalise the food for better digestion ~ because our Western Diet has too much acid food in it ~ glass of water with teaspoon of Bi=Carb in it ( half hour before retiring) daily will assist the system combat Acid Diseases ~ and cut down on acid foods ~ EAT MORE VEGIES!
HS Chari
Yates site member
16:09, 12 February 2010
I find that I get a better strike rate if I plant cuttings into half sand and half cocopeat. If you're on a low income and can't afford cutting powder or gel, a little smear of honey on the cut surface will help.
Annie
Yates site member
16:21, 15 February 2010
Thanks I never know when to take cuttings
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