Growing from cuttings

Close up of human hand and plant in pot

Have you always coveted a particular plant in a friend’s garden and wished you could have a specimen yourself? Growing plants from cuttings are the easiest — and definitely the cheapest — way to propagate large numbers of plants.

Good examples are murrayas, grevilleas, fuchsias, geraniums, gardenias, abelia, buxus, camellias and azaleas.

What you’ll need

A pot filled with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. This mix has been specially formulated to successfully raise seeds and help roots form on cuttings.

A pair of secateurs

A sharp knife

A pencil

A plastic label (which can be made out of strips cut from an icecream container)

Yates Clonex Root Gel — Softwood and Semi-Hard Wood Purple

Your favourite plants

Step-by-step guide to taking cuttings:

Ideally, take cuttings in the early morning while it’s cool. Select tip pieces that are at least 10cm long and with a minimum of two sets of leaves. If you can’t propagate them straight away, wrap them in moist paper and leave in a cool, dry spot until you’re ready.

Remove bottom leaves and cut just below the node (the spot where the bottom leaf or leaves were attached to the stem).

If the leaves are large, it may be better to reduce their size by cutting them in half. The bigger the leaf, the more water it will allow to escape from the plant.

Dip the base of the cutting into a small amount of Yates Clonex Root Gel - Softwood and Semi-Hard Wood Purple and shake off excess. With the pencil, dibble a small hole into the top of the Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix in the pot.

Insert the cutting into the hole and gently firm the mix to hold it upright.

Put a number of cuttings into the one pot.

Water with a gentle spray.

Label with the plant name and date.

Cover the pot with a plastic bag or similar to help retain moisture.

Put the pot in a brightly lit spot, away from direct sunlight. Check regularly to see that the mix is still moist. Water gently if necessary.

After about 6-8 weeks, ease out one of the cuttings to see if roots have formed on the base.

After they have, each cutting can be transplanted into an individual pot and watered in well with diluted Yates Thrive Natural Seaweed Tonic. — Courtesy of Yates