Growing a Garden From Cuttings

Outside my grandmother's back door there was always a row of pots with odd-looking twigs, some with a leaf here and there, sticking out of them.

This was how Gran grew many of her new plants; by taking cuttings, poking them in soil, and waiting for them to grow.  I expect ladies of that era often swapped cuttings with each other, thus filling their gardens with flowers at very little, or no, expense.

This spring I am trying to grow cuttings of roses, daisies, geraniums, lavender and wormwood.  I am getting quite ruthless at asking friends if I may take a snippet of some of their plants - or snapping off bits that poke over people's fences and popping them in my handbag as I walk past.  Shh! Don't tell anyone!

Once I have a cutting I trim it to just below a join in the stem because the join is where the roots will form.  Unlike Gran, I usually dip my cuttings in rooting hormone and I use commercial potting mix in my pots. Sometimes I plant a cutting out straight where I want it to grow - this works best with things like geraniums and daisies that will grow anywhere and don't need too much watering.

It is important to keep the soil moist until the cutting takes root.  You will know the cutting has taken root because new leaves will start to grow.

  If you have never grown plants from cuttings why not give it a try?  It is a very thrifty way to garden.