Get Free Gardens Updates: Stay up to date with the latest Gardens news by signing up for our myFT Daily Digest email. Gardening costs have been soaring since 2019, surpassing the official inflation rate. Due to the lockdowns, many newcomers turned to online shopping for their gardening needs, resulting in higher prices for items that were previously available at nurseries for much less. The spike in fuel prices also led to increased costs for compost and fertilizers, pushing prices up across the board. While these price hikes may be a burden, they can also benefit the nursery trade and support experienced gardeners in the long run.
Online shoppers may not realize that propagation is a vital and enjoyable aspect of gardening. It has now become an economic necessity. At the recent Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, I was offered takeaway lavenders in one-liter pots for £9.99 each. However, it is incredibly easy to take cuttings of lavenders, root them, and pot them on, resulting in dozens of plants ready to be planted in the late autumn at minimal cost and maximum satisfaction. Carol Klein, a well-known propagation advocate, designed a garden at the Hampton Court show that focused on different habitats and featured plants that are easily propagated. Her book “Grow Your Own Garden” from 2010 is an excellent resource for gardeners interested in propagation.
Here are some helpful guidelines for taking cuttings that have worked well for me. First and foremost, it’s crucial to create a suitable soil mix. While it may require some shopping, a single bag of each ingredient will last a long time. There seems to be a lot of confusion about the different types of soil, as depicted in the recent film “Master Gardener.” However, the equation “Soil plus perlite equals loam” mentioned in the film is not accurate. Perlite mixed with soil creates a favorable medium for rooting cuttings, not loam. When preparing the soil mix, combine two-thirds perlite with one-third seed compost, preferably a John Innes number one mix. Perlite provides excellent drainage and is ideal for silver-leaved plants and half-hardy cuttings that root quickly. Vermiculite can be used for slower rooters. Remember to thoroughly water the soil mix before planting the cuttings to prevent failure. Soak the mixture in advance and let it drain before planting in the late afternoon.
When it comes to choosing the actual cutting, now is a great time to take cuttings from pinks, salvias, lavenders, penstemons, helianthemums, and daisy-flowered marguerites. Use sharp scissors to snip off strong side shoots that haven’t flowered, just below a leaf bud or bulgy node. Remove the lower leaves and ensure that at least one-third of the stem can fit into the damp compost mix. If the salvias or penstemons have long upper leaves, reduce them by half using scissors. There’s no need to use powdery rooting hormone for easy rooters, as it’s an unnecessary expense. Create a hole in the compost with a peg or bamboo cane and plant the cutting near the side of the container, firming it in gently from the bottom up. Cover the pot with a bottomless plastic bottle or plastic hat to create a mini greenhouse effect. Keep the pot away from direct sunlight and do not remove the cover for at least four days, only checking if the compost needs watering. The majority of the cuttings should root and show new growth within three weeks. Once the roots are visible, remove the cover.
I unfortunately lost most of my half-hardy salvias in February, but taking cuttings now from their replacements will save me from buying them again next summer. It’s crucial to plant the cuttings as soon as you remove them from their parent plant, but if that’s not possible, you can temporarily store them in a clear plastic bag until you can plant them.
If your cuttings fail, here’s an alternative method I learned at a presentation about the European Cities of Culture for 2023. In 1920, Dadaist poet Tristan Tzara described how to create a Dada poem. The same concept can be applied to gardening columns, although I prefer living plant cuttings as poetry in a pot.
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