Amateur Gardening – 13 July 2019

6 AMATEUR GARDENING 13 JULY 2019

Tender perennial cuttings

T

HE summer may have been

disappointing compared with

last year, and some flowers

were a little slow in getting

going, but tender perennials such as

pelargoniums, penstemons, fuchsias

and gazanias are flourishing now.

This is an excellent time to use

some of their non-flowering stems for

softwood cuttings. When this year’s

wood starts to harden from its base as

summer progresses into early autumn,

you can still use it for cuttings but they

are known as ‘semi-ripe’.

The cuttings will be an ‘insurance’

policy against any tender plants lost in

winter. You can also use them to replace

old, unproductive and woody plants.

I use clay pots when striking cuttings

because they are slightly porous,

reducing the risk of waterlogging and

letting the developing roots breathe.

Once potted up, they start to grow

when their roots have developed.

Ruth shows a simple way to make more plants for free

Cuttings are a simple way

to increase stocks of

herbaceous perennials

Tender perennial cuttings

Pelargoniums also make

good cuttings

If you can’t pot up cuttings

straight after taking them,

pop them in a plastic

bag and store them

somewhere cool, or in

the fridge, for up

to 48 hours.

How to take penstemon softwood cuttings

2

Using sharp, clean secateurs,

remove 5in (12cm) lengths of this

year’s healthy non-flowering growth.

4

Dip the cut end in hormone

rooting powder or gel to help

promote the healthy root systems.

6

Seal the pot in a plastic bag that

isn’t touching the foliage and

place it somewhere light and warm.

1

Fill a clay pot with fresh seed and

cuttings compost and vermiculite,

and dampen it with clean tap water.

Step

by step

5

Insert the cuttings into the

dampened compost mix, so each

cutting has plenty of room to grow.

3

Pinch off around 2in (5cm) from

the bottom and strip away the

lower leaves, leaving the top leaflets.

Euphorbias are a stylish and

shapely addition to the garden in

spring and summer, though they

can become unruly.

They all have different growing

habits and need pruning accordingly.

Some evergreen varieties simply

need a light trim when their bracts

have turned brown. Snip them back

to the first ring of leaves.

Herbaceous perennial varieties

should be deadheaded after

flowering and then cut to the

ground before the first frosts.

Biennial euphorbias such as

E. characias flower on last year’s

stems, and these should be cut back

to leave this year’s growth standing.

Always wear gloves and clean

secateurs blades after cutting as

the plants’ thick milky sap is a

skin irritant.

Pruning euphorbia

Euphorbia should

be cut back after

fl owering

Avoid getting toxic

sap on your skin