Multiplying stock - taking semi-hardwood cuttings

July is a good time to take semi-hardwood cuttings of wildlife-friendly shrubs. These include Californian lilac for bees, barberry for bees and birds, rosemary for bees, hoverflies and other insects, firethorn and Japanese quince for nesting and feeding birds, guelder rose for moths, birds and small mammals, honeysuckle for insects and birds, and lavender which provides nectar for bees and butterflies and seeds for finches.

The growing tip will still be soft so cut where this year’s older growth is starting to turn woody. The cuttings are grown in peat-free seed or cutting compost. They are covered with a bag or a half of a plastic drink bottle. Keep warm at 16-18°C but out of direct sunlight. Rooting often takes place fast — within 3–4 weeks. The plastic is then lifted gradually to harden the cuttings off over the next month or so, before placing them somewhere cooler, e.g. a cold frame, and finally planting out next spring.