The Guardian | 30.04.22 | SATURDAY | 91LIFESTYLE
I
am beginning a long farewell:
by the end of the year, I will be
gone from this garden and
starting anew in Welsh soil.
I am fantasising about having
a garden that wraps around
a house, but in truth I think I am
gaining all of four metres, several of
those in shade. Still, it is a blank
canvas to paint on, and when I’m not
heartbroken about leaving my fruit
trees, I stand in my garden and make
plans for what should come with me.
I don’t want to leave this garden
with great holes where I’ve uprooted
established plants, so instead I am
taking cuttings. I have already taken
hardwood cuttings of all the soft
fruits, vines and fi gs.
But now that spring is in full swing,
it is time for softwood cuttings of
perennials: herbs such as rosemary,
sage, lavender and savory, and
deciduous shrubs such as hydrangea,
buddleia, kerria or sambucus.
As the name suggests, a softwood
cutting is taken from tender new
growth, which is ready to take root.
If successful, softwood cuttings can be
potted up by midsummer and have anextensive enough root system to
survive the winter.
Softwood cuttings are collected
from the tips of new growth on a
parent plant’s non-fl owering shoots.
Such new growth will lose moisture
very quickly, so you need to take care
to prevent wilting.
Take a cutting early in the day,
when the plants are turgid. If you have
lots of cuttings to take, drop them into
a clear plastic bag as you go as this will
prevent precious moisture loss.
Cuttings can be kept in the fridge
for a couple of hours, but ideally youwant to go from taking the cutting
to potting it up as quickly as possible.
The cutting should be about 10cm
long, taken from above a bud on the
parent plant.
Then, using a sharp, clean knife,
trim the cutting just below the node:
this is the point just below the leaf
joint where there are the most
hormones. Remove any lower set of
leaves so that you are left with a
cutting between 5cm and 10cm long,
with one or two sets of leaves. Now,
pinch out the growing tip.
Ideally specimens should be potted
in seed or cutting compost; if you
don’t have this, add at least 25% grit
to some peat-free multipurpose. Insert
the cutting with the fi rst pair of leaves
just above the compost.
Label the pot, water it from above
and keep it somewhere warm, but out
of direct sunlight. You can cover the
pot with a clear plastic bag to keep
things moist.
Remove the bag at least twice a
week for about 10 minutes to ventilate
the new plant. Keep the compost moist
until the cuttings are well rooted,
usually after four weeks.Make more
of the plants
you love by
nurturing
softwood
cuttings
Spring cuttings
can be potted up by
midsummer and
have enough roots to
survive the winter
PLANTSPLANTS
Alys Fowler
On gardens
Gynelle Leon’s
Houseplant
of the week
Mexican rose
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES; PRICK LDN
Why will I love it?
A rose in succulent form, echeveria
“fabiola ” is found in mountainous
terrain in Mexico. Its rosette shape and
pastel tones make it a pretty delight for
any home, with the bonus of becoming
even more attractive when it blooms.Light or shade?
Bright light.Where should I put it?
On a sunny, south-facing windowsill.How do I keep it alive?
Full sunlight will ensure the beautiful
leaf colour and overall healthy
appearance of echeveria, so avoid
shad e. Without enough light, they can
become “leggy” (stretched from
trying to reach light), form a long
stem and eventually topple over.
However, at temperatures above 30 C
or in very intense sunlight it will need
shade and extra ventilation;
otherwise, the leaves will scorch or
dry out. Plant in free-draining soil.
Water weekly in the summer and
reduce in the winter months, making
sure it always dries out between
watering. It can be easier to water
these plants underneath, as stagnant
water pooling on the leaves can
damage them.Did you know ...
Around 150 species and more than
1,000 cultivars of echeveria with new
hybrids are made every year.dt
sstBeautiful
in bloom