Tips
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.
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