Free garden plants this autumn

As we approach autumn and the summer growth on a lot of shrubs starts to become older and hardens off now is a good time to take some semi ripe cuttings.

Semi-ripe cuttings are taken from plant stems that are partially matured and have started to harden, but are not fully woody. Autumn is a good time to take semi-ripe cuttings of many deciduous plants, as the plants are slowing down their growth and preparing for winter dormancy.

Some examples of plants that can be propagated from semi-ripe cuttings in autumn include:

1. Roses – Select stems that have just finished blooming, but are not yet fully matured. Cut a 6-inch stem, remove the lower leaves, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and plant in well-draining soil.
2. Hydrangeas – Choose a healthy stem that is at least 4 inches long, and has several leaves. Remove the lower leaves, and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before planting in soil.
3. Boxwood – Select a stem that is between 4 to 6 inches long, and has a few leaves attached. Remove the lower leaves and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before planting in a well-draining soil.
4. Lavender – Choose a stem that is just starting to harden, but still has some flexibility. Cut a 4-6 inch stem, remove the lower leaves, and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before planting in well-draining soil.
5. Camellias – Select a stem that is at least 4 inches long, and has some leaves attached. Remove the lower leaves, and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before planting in well-draining soil.

When taking semi-ripe cuttings, it’s important to ensure that the stems are healthy and disease-free, and that you use clean, sharp tools to avoid damaging the plant. Also, be sure to keep the newly planted cuttings moist and in a protected location to prevent excessive moisture loss or damage from the cold.

Most of our MyGardenTeam clients as amazed at how easy it is to root a lot of our more common garden shrubs from simple cuttings. Garden plants including Hydrangea, weigela, forsythia and many others either in a pot of water on the kitchen windowsill or in a small pot.

For further details on semi ripe garden shrub cuttings click here

This picture shows some weigela cuttings taken about 4 weeks ago using John Innes compost number 1 and an old clay pot.

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