How do I take cuttings from lavender, and root them?

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

I have found a "communal display" (council landscaping near a dual carriageway) which includes lots of lavender - to my surprise! (they usually just stick some cheap bedding or leaf plants every few months)

How do I cut and root a bit of this plant, please?
(I have no shame, my council tax paid for it! )

tanith

Take a look here http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/lavender-cuttings/ It says Sept but I'm sure it won't matter its a little later...

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Thanks for that!

Question tho...what is the "heel"?

tanith

The heel is a small tag , that occurs as you break off the cutting , its like a sliver of the old 'bark' as you pull down the cutting from the the original plant..

peter_the_piper

Do snip off the straggly bit that is left when you pull the cutting off, it'll only rot and ruin the cutting. You can also do nodal cuttings of lavender about 3" long and dip in hormone rooting powder. Always use the sharpest tool you can for cuttings as it does not damage the cell structure as much as a blunt one does.

tanith

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Do snip off the straggly bit that is left when you pull the cutting off, it'll only rot and ruin the cutting. You can also do nodal cuttings of lavender about 3" long and dip in hormone rooting powder. Always use the sharpest tool you can for cuttings as it does not damage the cell structure as much as a blunt one does.

Thats not what it says on the Gardeners world link, it says the 'heel' is very important as that is where the new roots will grow from. So thats confused me no end :rotfl:

amcluesent

>You can also do nodal cuttings of lavender about 3" long and dip in hormone rooting powder.<

Yep, I rooted 12 this way in the greenhouse 5 weeks back. TBH, unless you had a heated propagator, I'd not be sure of success this late in the season.

peter_the_piper

tanith wrote: »

Thats not what it says on the Gardeners world link, it says the 'heel' is very important as that is where the new roots will grow from. So thats confused me no end :rotfl:

By all means leave the heel but when you take it off the stem it often leaves a torn, straggly bit. This is what I'm referring to. Carefully slice thei off to leave a nice clean heel.