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PROPAGATION

PROPAGATION FROM CUTTINGS

You can use softwood or semi-ripe cuttings, softwood being the youngest, greenest part of a growing stem. Cuttings can be taken from spring to summer and take approximately five weeks to root. Semi-ripe cuttings use partially ripened stems and are taken from midsummer to early autumn and take a bit longer to root.

The most usual cutting taken for clematis propagation is an internodal cutting, which means that the cut is made between two leaf joints/nodes. Some clematis take better than others but it's fun to try and see what you can achieve.

Fill your pots with loam based seed compost and firm it down, topping off with grit or sharp sand. Water with general purpose fungicide diluted as appropriate in water, and allow to drain. Select a stem from your clematis and cut it about 5cm from the tip, directly above a leaf joint. Looking at the stem, make your first cut midway between two leaf joints, then allow two more leaf joints and cut 1cm after the second one, so that you have two pairs of leaves. Cut off the bottom two leaves, and one of the upper leaves, then dip the cutting into a fungicide solution and allow to drain. If using semi-ripe stems it's a good idea to dip the tip into hormone rooting powder, but softwood cuttings take more easily. Push the cutting into the compost until the upper leaf joint is just above the surface. Label your cuttings carefully and water with a fine spray to avoid the cuttings moving about. Place the pots in a propagator or seal inside a plastic bag. Bottom heat in a propagator helps but isn't absolutely necessary. Keep the cuttings in a bright position but out of direct sunlight, and don't allow the compost to dry out.

to check whether your cutting has rooted, carefully pull on the leaf - if it moves give the cutting longer to take. When you are sure the cuttings have rooted you will need to harden them off gently and eventually have them outside.

Pot up into loam based seedling compost but bury the original leaf joint under the surface of the compost, allowing just the new growth to show - this will encourage the production of new roots on the new growth. When the plant reaches about 30cm tall, prune it back to just above the first set of leaves showing above the compost, and this will encourage new side shoots. Then let the plant grow another 30cm or so, and prune back to the second set of leaf joints, creating a bushier plant at the base. Ensure that the compost stays moist at all times.