Our Products:

Gardeneers.co.uk
© 2006 - 2008

Growing

The basic starting point for all gardens and gardeners is knowing how to grow and look after your own plants successfully. Gardening is a skill that is learnt over many years, but some of the essential elements can be established quite quickly. The following brief guide will help you to gain an understanding of general plant growing techniques, covering sections like seeds, seedlings, plants, cuttings and related subjects.

New Plants From Cuttings

You can save money and gain some nice healthy plants by learning how to take cuttings. Success will depend on what the parent plant is, and how you care for the cutting.

The following guides should help you to gain an understanding.

Not all species of plants can be propagated from cuttings. The ideal time to take cuttings is early spring, when the plant has begun its active growth cycle. Choose a healthy plant with plenty of new growth.

General guide

Using a sharp clean knife, take a cutting 3 or 4 inches in length from the top growing tips or vigorous side shoots. The cut should be made at a slight angle, just below a node (The point on the stem where a leaf has developed).

Trim off any flower buds and the lower leaves from the cutting, leaving a stem with 3-4 leaves at the tip.

You should then dip the cut end into an appropriate rooting hormone, and insert the new cutting into suitable cutting compost. Consult you local suppliers for the best options.

The cutting should have 2-3 nodes covered under the compost. New roots will emerge from these covered nodes.

A container with a transparent lid, like a mini greenhouse is ideal for growing cuttings. Water the cuttings well and place it in a bright, warm spot (NOT full sun). Keep the cuttings at a minimum temperature of 72 degrees, and all being well you should have new plants within a few weeks.