When to take cuttings from plants

29th September 2014 • Timely Advice • Stephanie Donaldson

I’ve been taking lots of cuttings of half hardy plants over the last couple of weeks – the warm weather means that everything is still in tip top condition and there are lots of non-flowering side shoots which are ideal. It really is easy-peasy – cut below a leaf joint, strip back  the lower leaves and then pop the cuttings round the edge of a 10cm pot (for some reason cuttings root better round a pot’s margins). Water and cover with fleece to retain moisture or pop the pot in a plastic bag. I find the fleece better – the plastic bag tends to fill with condensation which can cause the cuttings to rot. So far I’ve taken cuttings from salvias, lavender and pelargoniums, although I can’t claim to have done so one the scale they do at Loseley Park where I photographed their pelargonium cuttings recently.