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How to take lavender cuttings
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Friday, 11 June 2021 at 8:00 am
Find out how to boost stocks of lavender for free, by taking cuttings in summer - just follow this guide by Alan Titchmarsh
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If you're new to plant propagation, taking lavender cuttings in summer is a good way to start as they root easily and will provide you with lots of new plants for free.
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Choose non-flowered shoots of this year's growth and ensure that they're free from pests and disease. You can also take summer cuttings of many other plants, including rosemary, roses and penstemons.
Follow our simple step-by-step guide below to get more fragrant lavender plants, for free.
In the above video, Alan Titchmarsh demonstrates how to take cuttings from lavender, in summer, to propagate your own new lavender plants for free, taking both stem and heel cuttings.
Make your cut immediately below where a pair of leaves have been removed. That's because there, there's a greater concentration of rooting hormone, so that means it'll have a better chance.
Alan Titchmarsh
You Will Need
- Lavender
- Sharp knife
- 10cm pots
- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
- Rooting hormone, liquid or powder
- Polythene bag, clear
Total time: 20 minutes
Step 1
Cutting lavender sideshoots
Choose sideshoots as cuttings, pulling these away from the main stem with a thin strip of bark, or heel, still attached.
Step 2
Trimming the heel pf the lavender cutting
This heel is important as it is where the roots of the new plant will develop. If your cuttings don't have a heel, trim the bottom, cutting with a sharp knife, just below a leaf joint.
Step 3
Removing the lower leaves of the lavender cutting
Remove the lower pairs of leaves so that the cutting has a length of bare stem that can be cleanly inserted into the compost.
Step 4
Pushing each cutting into compost
Dip the cut end of each cutting into rooting hormone. Insert several cuttings around the edge of small pots of gritty compost.
Step 5
Lavender cuttings in bags
Water the compost well then cover the whole pot with a clear polythene bag to maintain a humid atmosphere around the cuttings.
Step 6
Put the pots in a warm, shaded place. Once rooting has started (usually after four to six weeks), cut the corner of the bag to increase ventilation. Remove the bag completely after a few weeks. Leave cuttings in place until they are well rooted, then pot up individually.
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Feeling inspired? Take a look at five other ways to increase your stock of plants through propagation, or browse our propagation projects.
Growing on your lavender cuttings
Grow plants to a larger size before planting out in their final positions – pot up each cutting individually. Protect cuttings under glass or a cold frame in winter and plant out the following spring.
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