How to Grow Plants from Cuttings this September
Prolong your tender shrubs and half-hardy perennials by taking cuttings this autumn
September is the perfect time of year to take cuttings from tender shrubs and half-hardy perennials. Why? They’ll form a good root system more quickly before the cooler weather sets in. It will also give you the chance to increase your stock of those plants that may not make it through the winter months. Here’s a simple guide to help you get started.
Take hardwood cuttings
Many deciduous plants are best suited to being propagated by hardwood cuttings from this year’s growth. These include roses, buddleja, elder, jasmine, forsythia, Cornus, Philadelphus and Abelia, as well as many vines and fruits such as blackcurrants, figs and gooseberries.
On the whole, hardwood cuttings are grown outdoors in a prepared trench, but you can also grow them in containers, or under a cloche or cold frame.
Many deciduous plants are best suited to being propagated by hardwood cuttings from this year’s growth. These include roses, buddleja, elder, jasmine, forsythia, Cornus, Philadelphus and Abelia, as well as many vines and fruits such as blackcurrants, figs and gooseberries.
On the whole, hardwood cuttings are grown outdoors in a prepared trench, but you can also grow them in containers, or under a cloche or cold frame.
- Choose a healthy plant and make a cut of about 15-30cm long, just below a leaf node.
- Cut the top end with a slanted cut, just above a leaf node, so it sheds water and to help you identify which end is which.
- Dip the flat end in hormone rooting powder and insert it two-thirds below the surface of a well-prepared trench of organic compost. The compost should have a layer of sand at the bottom.
- Hardwood cuttings need to be left in place until the following autumn. Make sure you water any cuttings over the summer months and by next September they should have rooted and can then be planted out or potted on.
- If you’re planting your cuttings in a pot, make sure you put them in deep containers with a mixture of 50:50 coarse grit and multi-purpose compost. Keep the pots moist over the summer and store them in an unheated greenhouse or sheltered spot until the following autumn.
Take semi-hardwood cuttings
Late summer or early autumn is the ideal time to take cuttings from plants such as hebe and fuchsia, as this is when the stems are partly, but not fully, mature.
Late summer or early autumn is the ideal time to take cuttings from plants such as hebe and fuchsia, as this is when the stems are partly, but not fully, mature.
- Take a cut from the plant so the tips of shoots are at least 2.5cm long and can be rooted successfully.
- With a sharp knife, trim the base of the cutting just below a bud and remove all the lower leaves. Keep two leaves at the top where the tip is.
- You can choose to dip the base of the cutting in hormone rooting powder, or solution, but this isn’t essential.
- Put your cutting into a pot or module tray with equal parts of peat-free compost and vermiculite.
- Water well and label the plants.
- Once your cutting is rooted, pinch out the growing tip. Repeat this in the spring in order to achieve a bushier plant.
- If you can, spray the young plants with water around February to encourage growth and create a bit of humidity.
Be prepared
It’s best to have everything ready before you take your cuttings in order to plant them as soon as possible.
Prepare your pots or module trays, making sure they’ve been cleaned and dried.
Buy special cutting compost from your local garden centre, or make your own at home. The key is to provide good drainage by adding a substance such as perlite, or similar. If the compost is too rich, your cuttings will become very lank and leggy.
Don’t take cuttings in the heat of the day, and put newly cut stems in water straight away. If you can’t do that, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the shade.
Try to take a cutting from a plant that’s semi-ripe – you don’t want to cut a piece that’s too woody, or lax, as this will lead the cutting to rot more quickly.
It’s best to have everything ready before you take your cuttings in order to plant them as soon as possible.
Prepare your pots or module trays, making sure they’ve been cleaned and dried.
Buy special cutting compost from your local garden centre, or make your own at home. The key is to provide good drainage by adding a substance such as perlite, or similar. If the compost is too rich, your cuttings will become very lank and leggy.
Don’t take cuttings in the heat of the day, and put newly cut stems in water straight away. If you can’t do that, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the shade.
Try to take a cutting from a plant that’s semi-ripe – you don’t want to cut a piece that’s too woody, or lax, as this will lead the cutting to rot more quickly.
Give them a good start
In September, any semi-ripe cuttings you take from the current season’s growth still have high hormone levels, so they should root well.
When you take cuttings earlier in the year, you should insert them around the edge of a pot or in seed trays, then pot them on once you can see they’ve rooted. For cuttings you take in August and September, however, it’s better to leave them in their pots and seed trays over the winter before potting on. They’ll get a much better start by being potted on when the days begin to get longer.
In September, any semi-ripe cuttings you take from the current season’s growth still have high hormone levels, so they should root well.
When you take cuttings earlier in the year, you should insert them around the edge of a pot or in seed trays, then pot them on once you can see they’ve rooted. For cuttings you take in August and September, however, it’s better to leave them in their pots and seed trays over the winter before potting on. They’ll get a much better start by being potted on when the days begin to get longer.
Keep them moist
Cuttings are at their most vulnerable in the first few weeks, as they don’t have any roots to replenish moisture. To protect them, put them in a cool, light part of your house, keep them under a cold frame, or locate them in a shady spot of the greenhouse or under a cloche.
Use a fine mist occasionally, or place them in a propagator. If you decide to put a plastic bag over the cuttings, use canes under the bag to help maintain and enclose moisture.
Plants grown under a plastic bag or propagator can also create warm and humid conditions that encourage mould, so make sure you open the lid of the propagator and cut holes in the plastic bag to improve ventilation. If you see any leaves or cuttings starting to rot, take them out to prevent the disease spreading.
Tell us…
Are you planning to take some cuttings now, or did you do this last September? Share your thoughts, photos and tips in the Comments section.
Cuttings are at their most vulnerable in the first few weeks, as they don’t have any roots to replenish moisture. To protect them, put them in a cool, light part of your house, keep them under a cold frame, or locate them in a shady spot of the greenhouse or under a cloche.
Use a fine mist occasionally, or place them in a propagator. If you decide to put a plastic bag over the cuttings, use canes under the bag to help maintain and enclose moisture.
Plants grown under a plastic bag or propagator can also create warm and humid conditions that encourage mould, so make sure you open the lid of the propagator and cut holes in the plastic bag to improve ventilation. If you see any leaves or cuttings starting to rot, take them out to prevent the disease spreading.
Tell us…
Are you planning to take some cuttings now, or did you do this last September? Share your thoughts, photos and tips in the Comments section.
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You can hold on to your supply of frost-tender perennials by taking softwood cuttings in September. Plants such as pelargoniums, pinks, penstemon and salvia should root reliably in the autumn. Here’s how to do it:
- Select a non-flowering shoot about 10cm long and cut from the main part of the plant.
- Remove the lower leaves, as well as the top three near the tip. It’s also best to remove the stipules, which are the scale-like structures at the base of the leaf stalk, as these can cause the plant to rot.
- Trim the cutting with a sharp knife to just below a leaf joint – it should end up around 8cm long.
- Dip the end of the cutting in hormone rooting powder, or solution, if you wish, and put it into a pot of peat-free cutting compost.
- Don’t put the cuttings in direct sunlight, but place them on a well-lit bench or windowsill. You will soon have lots of lovely small new plants.
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