Taking cuttings of plants is a great way of ensuring you get an exact copy of the plant you’re propagating, and Jane shows us how to do it with some of our favourite native plants.
There’s a bit of a myth that native plants can be difficult fuss pots - and of course some can be - but there are several plants that are reliable for those just starting out, including callistemon or bottle brush, correas, melaleucas, prostantheras - the mint bushes - and westringias, or native rosemary. Correas and westringias are great for hedging, but of course you need a few plants for that, so taking cuttings not only ensures your plants will all grow alike but it’s a cheap way to get enough lots of plants to get started.
When taking cuttings, avoid the hard, older material and the soft new growth and go for firm stems from this season’s growth. If you can bend it by 60degrees and it springs back, it should be ok.
Never take cutting material from diseased plants and, if possible, cut from plants when they’re not flowering, because then they can direct it to growing roots instead of flowers. But if that’s all you’ve got, try it anyway, just trim off all the flowers and buds first.
Use a clean, sharp blade and cut the stem on a slight angle to increase the amount of cambium (bark layer) showing because this is what will produce new roots. Trim off any bottom leaves and cut larger leaves in half to reduce the moisture lost through transpiration. But don’t take them all off - the plant needs to photosynthesise to stay alive and grow roots! If you like you can dip the end into a hormone powder or gel to encourage new roots - that can speed things up.
You can make up your own cutting mix from coir peat, vermiculite and coarse sand or use a seed raising mix. Fill a clean pot and plant your cuttings - make a hole with a stick or chopstick first to avoid damaging the delicate cut area that you want to grow roots. You can pack a few in quite tightly because that stops them drying out - although it’s not so good for grey or hairy leaves, which are prone to fungal attacks. Don’t forget to label and date your cuttings.
Water them in and leave them somewhere warm but not in direct sun - a polystyrene box with wet sand underneath works well, covered with a bit of glass or Perspex to keep out the cold air. Keep checking the soil is moist but not wet and remove any cuttings that go black or show signs of fungus. Then, when roots start appearing from the bottom of the pot, you know it’s safe to pot them up and gradually introduce them to more sunlight.
One word of warning - taking cuttings from other people’s gardens is not ok and will not earn you friends. But few gardeners would say no if you ask them, so take the plunge and you might find a new gardening friend while you’re at it.
It’s great to experiment with taking cuttings from your favourite plants and native plants are a huge bonus to any garden, and the native wildlife.
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