The thought of taking cuttings used to terrify me, I’m not sure why, it all seemed too technical to even think about.

But having tried it, I am here to reassure you there is nothing technical about it, they are positively easy and it’s such a simple way of increasing your stock of hardy shrubs, trees, fruit and climbers.

Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody plants, evergreen & deciduous, and can be taken any time from the end of the growing season once the stems have fully ripened, the recommendation is the dormant season so now is your last chance before everything really gets going.

Although hardwood cuttings can take a while to grow, the success rate is good and once planted they can be pretty much forgotten about until the roots have developed and they are ready to plant out.

Once you’ve tried them they’ll be no excuse not to give softwood cuttings a go in the summer!

What do do:

- Select a nice looking stem, about a pencil thickness, from the current seasons growth, (you will be able to tell the difference between this and last years growth if you compare a couple of stems)

- Cut a section approx. 15-30cm long above a bud.

- Dip the cut end into hormone rooting powder (which you can buy in any garden centre).

- Insert cuttings into a fairly deep pot containing a gritty mix approx. 50:50 grit to compost.

- Keep the pots in a unheated greenhouse until ready to plant out once the roots have

established, this will vary depending on the plant, some could be as early as summer.

Which Plants:

Most deciduous shrubs for example: Buddleja (butterfly bush); Cornus (dogwood); Forsythia, Philadelphus (mock orange) & Ribes (flowering currant). Climbers such as: Lonicera (honeysuckle) & Jasminum.

Fruit including: gooseberries, currants & mulberry and trees such as: Salix (willow), Populus (poplars) & Platanus (plane).