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How to take Penstemon cuttings
Hi everyone, i bought a bunch of penstemons in a 'deal' in a magazine. They were very tiny when they arrived but i planted them on in pots and they have grown well this summer, but have not flowered. Could I take cuttings from them now, if so how do I do this? I would like to propagate some to sell at our local horti club show next year to help them raise funds ????
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I've just done this with two of mine - 4 to 6" lengths taken from th etips of stems then all but the top pair of leaves snipped off and the stem trimmed just below a leaf axil and then all put in a glass of water to root in good light but out of direct sun. Should take a few weeks and then they go into individual pots to grow on under shelter over winter.
The other method is to place each cutting round the edge of a pot containing seed compost mixed with a bit of grit for extra drainage. Water, drain and then keep in a cool but sheltered spot til next spring when you can tap out the contents and pot up the rooted cuttings.
Thank you Obelixx that's great, I will do as you say and put in water, i can see them root then ?
My penstemons will naturally self-layer, which makes it an easy and 100% guaranteed success propagation method! See https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=358.
But of course we are talking about established plants growing in the soil, not new plants in pots.