ok x for all novice gardeners out there....if you take a lavender cutting..........be patient......don`t be tempted to yank the little plant out of its pot to see if it has roots......leave it in its pot and watch the leaves.....if the plant wants to grow it will smile at you with new leaves....slowly but surely!.... if the cutting that you`ve taken has gone black n mankey..try again...equally dry n crispy:) Never give up...the`re not the easiest plants to take cuttings from.....xx
What's going wrong when leafs of some of the cuttings are turning black ? I took the video-project on propagating herbs as a guide. Dry coarsy medium in individual small pots, placed in a covered propagation box. The cuttings are misted daily. The box itself is placed in the kitchen, kept out of direct sunlight. I've already tried several methods proposed on the web... At least one should do, I may hope ? Any advice ? Thanks in advance.
Whenever I have tried to take lavender cuttings in the past they have always failed to take, and I think this is because they have become mildewed inside the plastic bag before the roots have become established.
I keep reading that these cuttings propagate easily! Mine must be dying off just to spite me then! :-)
Once cutting has been established a) do I loosen the individual plant and plant it on it's own or b) do I plonk the whole lot into the prepared ground please . Thank you.
Thanks for the info.Sounds easy enough but from the other comments, I gather this isn't the case.Anyway nothing beats a try - here goes - let you know how I get on.
Have planted my first lavender cuttings and the teeny tiny leaves are now appearing. Have been wondering how long to leave them but will make haste slowly, especially as it is now too cold to put them out. I did not use rooting powder so am keeping my fingers crossed instead!
There are a lot of unanswered questions on this blog. I'd love to hear a little more from GW expert. I've never ever been successful either propagating lavender or growing it from seed, and I can grow most things (sorry, don't mean to sound immodest! Just lucky with green fingers). I think it's to do with mould, and I definitely wouldn't cover lavender cuttings with plastic. I've heard that they hate wet soil but you should mist the leaves. Anyway, I'll be having yet another go this June - never say die - but would like further guidance additional to the article/video
It would appear that I have at last had success with lavender cuttings after many failures. I took these latest cuttings last year.
When tearing off the cutting from the plant, the heel can sometimes have a longish tail of bark attached. This won't produce roots and could encourage rotting. It is this outer layer which should be cut off cleanly. Inside there is the lighter core which contains the cells which can become roots. Try to avoid damage to this area by squashing or bruising. There is a higher concentration of root producing cells at junctions between stems, and in the outer layer of the 'inner' stem, which is why we tend to expose this area when attempting cuttings (or grafts).
I used a very light compost with added grit to open it up. I only wanted to take a few cutting from a new plant so put them in individual pots. I used the clear plastic 'cups' you gets with ice cream cones as mini propagators. These make it easy to check the cuttings and dry the inside if by chance it looks too wet. I carefully tipped one out after a few weeks as they appeared to be putting on top growth but there was hardly any root development so repotted it and have left them all for a few months more. I have kept them in an unheated greenhouse throughout and have been careful to keep them on the dry side. I now have very tiny, mini lavender bushes definately putting on top growth, but will keep them in a controlled environment until I can rely on the weather and they are not shocked. Had I rooted them all in the same pot I would have grown them on individually before planting out.
With regard to Standards, these may well be grafted onto the stems of entirely different plants - though I haven't check them out.
Cherrypip: It is my understanding that cuttings of licensed varieties, taken for your own use are ok. Just don't sell them. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
I hope my experience helps with all of the above queries. My neighbour tells me she takes lavender cuttings easily, but must say, although I have had success with lots of different plants, Lavender has always been a problem.
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I took the video-project on propagating herbs as a guide.
Dry coarsy medium in individual small pots, placed in a covered propagation box.
The cuttings are misted daily.
The box itself is placed in the kitchen, kept out of direct sunlight.
I've already tried several methods proposed on the web...
At least one should do, I may hope ?
Any advice ?
Thanks in advance.
I keep reading that these cuttings propagate easily! Mine must be dying off just to spite me then! :-)
Is it beneficial to put a handful of grit on top of the compost to protect cuttings during propagation?
It would appear that I have at last had success with lavender cuttings after many failures. I took these latest cuttings last year.
When tearing off the cutting from the plant, the heel can sometimes have a longish tail of bark attached. This won't produce roots and could encourage rotting. It is this outer layer which should be cut off cleanly. Inside there is the lighter core which contains the cells which can become roots. Try to avoid damage to this area by squashing or bruising. There is a higher concentration of root producing cells at junctions between stems, and in the outer layer of the 'inner' stem, which is why we tend to expose this area when attempting cuttings (or grafts).
I used a very light compost with added grit to open it up. I only wanted to take a few cutting from a new plant so put them in individual pots. I used the clear plastic 'cups' you gets with ice cream cones as mini propagators. These make it easy to check the cuttings and dry the inside if by chance it looks too wet. I carefully tipped one out after a few weeks as they appeared to be putting on top growth but there was hardly any root development so repotted it and have left them all for a few months more. I have kept them in an unheated greenhouse throughout and have been careful to keep them on the dry side. I now have very tiny, mini lavender bushes definately putting on top growth, but will keep them in a controlled environment until I can rely on the weather and they are not shocked. Had I rooted them all in the same pot I would have grown them on individually before planting out.
With regard to Standards, these may well be grafted onto the stems of entirely different plants - though I haven't check them out.
Cherrypip: It is my understanding that cuttings of licensed varieties, taken for your own use are ok. Just don't sell them. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
I hope my experience helps with all of the above queries. My neighbour tells me she takes lavender cuttings easily, but must say, although I have had success with lots of different plants, Lavender has always been a problem.