IN THE GARDEN
PLANTS FOR FREE Invest a little time in taking cuttings, and you can soon fill out your garden without needing to reach for your wallet, says Sally Petitt T he idea of free plants brings joy to many of us gardeners, including myself, but is there really such a thing? Yes! You can produce new plants from
lavenders and salvias. Here at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, this process is well under way. To produce softwood cuttings, you should gather non-flowering shoots from your garden plants, making a neat cut with a sharp knife below the node (leaf axil) at approximately 7-10cm down the stem, and inserting the cutting into a free- draining cutting compost. Your cuttings
your existing plantings without having to buy replacements. It will cost you in time and effort, of course, but in my opinion it’s well worth the investment! Earlier this year, I wrote about the thrill of growing plants from seed. While some plants relish a spring sowing, other perennials and woody subjects benefit from autumnal sowing and exposure to winter cold to break seed dormancy. But seed sowing isn’t the only propagation method. The vegetative propagation of plants – producing new plants from stems, roots or leaves, rather than seeds – will guarantee the production of an exact replica of the parent plant. Taking softwood cuttings Softwood cuttings are taken from the soft, new growth of plants – usually in spring or summer – and are one of the quickest ways to propagate tender perennials. Late summer is the perfect time to take softwood cuttings of tender perennials in your garden, such as pelargoniums,
1 Forsythia: bright, sunny-yellow spring blooms. 2 Dogwood (Cornus): striking winter colour stems. 3 Buddleia: loved by pollinators. 4 Roses: beautiful and fragrant. 5 Hydrangea: late-summer colour with large flower heads. Best for beginners Top five plants for hardwood cuttings that root reliably
76 SEPTEMBER 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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