Nothing gets cheaper but one way to save money is to take cuttings from your favourite plants. It is not too late to start now for a later summer display.
Geraniums and Pelargoniums are easy to propagate. You don’t even need to buy special plant pots. A yoghurt pot or other plastic container will do. Punch a small hole or the bottom and fill with damp, free draining compost. Pick a healthy shoot from your chosen plant and using a sharp knife, take a cutting
just below a leaf node (the slight swelling just below the leaf), approximately 4-6 inches /10 to 15cm. Remove the bottom leaves and any flowers or buds. Make a hole in the compost with a dibber if you have one, or otherwise a stick or pencil. Push the cutting down into the compost and lightly firm round the stem. ( If you have any rooting powder, you can dip the stem of your cutting in it first, but it isn’t necessary for success.) Put the pot in a saucer and place in a well lit area, avoiding full sunlight. Give it some water occasionally, (not on the compost but in the saucer). It does not need to be wet. Just enough to stop the compost drying out. In a few weeks, roots will have developed and you will see fresh leaves appearing. As your new plant grows you can put it into a bigger pot or plant out. To make the plant bushier, when your plant has grown taller and new leaves are appearing. You can pinch out the growing tip to encourage side shoots.
The same can be done with Lavender and Fuchsias. If you are taking a cutting from an upright Fuchsia, and you want a standard plant, don’t pinch out the growing tip. Keep one strong stem. Support it with a bamboo can until it reaches the height you want and then pinch out the tip to start the side shoots appearing. Let each shoot grow two or three sets of leaves and pinch out again to develop a lovely showy head of flowers.
Softwood cutting like a Hydrangea, Ceanothus and Roses need slightly different treatment. Take a longer flower free cutting of 8 to 10 inches/20 to 25cm just below a leaf node. Take about half the leaves off starting from the cut end of the cutting. They will need slightly bigger pots. The large size yoghurt pots will do if you have not got a plant pot. Fill with damp compost. If using rooting powder, dip your stem in the powder. Make a hole in the compost and push in your cutting into the pot. Firm the compost round the stem to support the cutting. These cuttings can be put outside in light sheltered spot, but avoid full sun. Keep them watered but not soggy. These cuttings take longer to root than the geraniums. Once they have developed a good root system then you can either plant on your chosen pot or in the ground. Well treated they will be even better next year, and all for pennies rather than pounds.
