HOW TO PROPAGATE LAVENDER FROM SEMI- RIPE CUTTINGS IN LATE SUMMER AND EARLY AUTUMN, by Anya Lautenbach on YouTube. 16 min 37 s.
- Video length
- 16 min 37 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick a dry morning in late summer or early autumn, once the plant has finished flowering. Choose healthy shoots from this year's growth that have firmed up at the base but are still green and bendy at the tip.
Cut a stem 10 to 15 cm long with clean, sharp secateurs. Make the cut just below a leaf node, where the roots form fastest.
Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the stem, leaving three or four pairs at the top. Pinch out a very soft, floppy tip so the cutting does not wilt.
Fill a small pot with free-draining compost, such as half multipurpose and half grit or perlite. Firm it lightly and water it before you insert anything.
Make a hole with a pencil or dibber and push the cutting in up to the lowest leaves. Firm the compost around the stem so it stands upright.
Water the pot and let it drain. Label it with the lavender variety and the date so you know what you have next spring.
Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag or put it in a propagator. Keep it in bright light but out of direct sun, and open the bag now and then to let air in.
Keep the compost barely moist. Roots usually form in four to eight weeks, so test with a gentle tug and pot on when the stem holds firm.
Move rooted cuttings into individual pots of gritty compost and overwinter them in a cold frame or a sheltered, frost-free spot.
Tips and common mistakes
Avoid stems that are flowering or woody, as they root slowly or not at all.
Take two or three times more cuttings than you need, since not every one will take.
Wet, cold compost is the main reason cuttings rot, so water sparingly and let the surface dry between waterings.
Secateurs are sharp, so cut away from your body and keep your fingers clear of the blade.
Questions
When is the best time to take lavender cuttings?
Late summer to early autumn, after flowering, when this year's stems have started to firm up. Semi-ripe cuttings taken then have time to root before winter.
How long do lavender cuttings take to root?
Usually four to eight weeks. Tug a leaf gently to check for resistance, and leave the cutting longer if it lifts easily.
Can I root lavender cuttings in water?
You can try, but the stems often rot before roots form. Gritty compost in a covered pot gives much more reliable results.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
