Cuttings

How do you use cuttings? I have a couple of natives that are just growing so well. I thought I might clip off a bit and replant it elsewhere in th garden. Is it just a matter of popping it in the ground? Is there more to it than that?

I really have no idea about gardening but would love to fill a few gaps in our garden beds cheaply!

Not all plants can be grown via cutting... natives especially can be tricky to propagate this way. If you know the name of the plant you want to try to grow then maybe Google to see if it can be grown this way.

The plants that I have grown via cutting are not natives: roses, lavendar and the easiest of all: succulents.

But this is the right time of year to give it a go :) the soil is starting to warm up and it's moist.

Burke's Backyard website has some good tips for growing via cutting. Essentially you need to choose a piece of the plant that is fairly young and vigorous. Then strip it back of foliage to all but a few leaves. With a knife you can even remove a little of the "skin" of the stem to expose the part of the plant that will grow roots. Dip the cutting into a hormone powder (available from all plant nurseries) to increase the chances of root growth. You could also buy some special cutting mix and plant the cutting in that instead of directly into the soil to give it an extra chance. Keep the cuttings in a sheltered spot out of the wind until they strike.

With regard to natives such as eucalypts I don't think cuttings are always possible. As a general guide the plants that spread easily by forming roots along the stems are the ones that are good for cuttings.

If you want a really easy start to all this I'd buy a succulent from a nursery and divide it up... you can get dozens of new plants out of one small plant. I've filled a whole garden bed from a small handful of suculents cuttings given to me by neighbours... for free... in only about a year.

Goodluck! :goodluck:

Thanks for all that info! I just ran out and checked the names of the two that have taken off. When I have more time I'll see what I can find on Google. Sounds a lot more involved than I thought!

Good tip about the succulents - I have a completely bare backyard to fill too!

Succulents also hardly need any water and don't get "bitten" by the sun on those 40'C days. They grow fast too but aren't weedy (as in they don't take over a garden). They also often throw up the most beautiful flowers about once a year. Little old ladies often have succulents growing in their gardens and might be happy to give you some cuttings for free. I have photos in my FB album of my garden... can't recall if I've added you or not... you're welcome to check it out.

Have a look at gardening australia as well - they did a good session on it about 2 weeks ago.

What you can do for cuttings (like lavendar and other woody stalks) is do what's called "layering" where you take a woody newish bit of stalk, and put it into soil.

I cut a rosemary bush back yesterday, and trimmed all the cuttings down today to stick them in potting mix. Sometimes it works for me, usually with roses, but I don't like roses anymore!

Bathsheba - don't think I'm on your FB otherwise I'd definitely check it out, I need inspiration!

Kazbah - thanks for the tip!

Netix - one of the bushes is a kind of rosemary actually! For some reason I don't like roses either.

DH love love loves succulents, he propergates all the time, we hardly buy any these days.
another one that good to fill in areas is pigsface, its a succulent but a bushy one, and you can take cuttings and replant

Hydranges are easily groen form cuttings, just plant them where they don't get the hot afternoon sun.

Viola is a weed in my garden, it turns up in just about every pot, another one is forget me not.

If you take cuttings plant them in soil in a pot and wait them to take, you have a better chance of them growing.

Herbs are good at filling places also.

Another way to fill the backyard is with large pots, just remember to put saucers under them