Taking cuttings from Wallflowers 28 April 2021 at 10:00PM edited 28 April 2021 at 10:01PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 6 replies 201 views

twopenny

I've got 3 magnificent wallflowers about 2ft spread with wonderful scent. Not perennials as far as I know.

Purloined from a friend who'd grown them for a year and gave them to me when she dug up her 'bedding' again. Didn't expect them to take.

I can't find wallflowers in any garden centre or nursery. All gone. So someone said cuttings.

Now I've looked it up and the info is thin on the ground but it seems June is the time, cut the tops of the leaves etc. I know it's not June but they've been in full flower through summer and winter and still are so I was thinking of trying to get some done now. It's very mild here. Sunny windowsill for cold nights etc.

Has anyone tried taking these? Do they root quickly or will I have to tenderly nurture for months? Any tips please?

elle_may

I have been tacking cuttings for years and never done any thing but pulling them off the plant with a little bit of a spur on them  and then dipping them in rooting powder. I olso find little baby ones in the ground that the plant has self seeded so have a look around for this. 

twopenny

Thank you ElleMay, the rooting powder was mentioned in what little info I found.

I always cut off the seed heads so it flowers continuously but in the past I've saved seed. I'll try a bit of both and try and have my cake and eat it

Part of my problem at the moment is that every stem is flowering on all plants. I'll watch and learn.

Davesnave

Bowles Mauve roots like a weed in my polytunnel rooting bed, but it's not so easy with the hybrids of semi-perennial nature. I'm afraid I just bought a 15 plant bundle of those from Hayloft, rather than muck about, but of course they must've originated as cuttings in controlled conditions somewhere. At £1.50 a throw I'm happy to shell-out, rather than attempt to provide them!

twopenny

So would I be Dave if I could find any!
I've not found seed works these days so you're probably right about them being mucked about.
I've seen a lot of roadside stalls, tiny, on my diversions yesterday but couldn't stop due to traffic. May investigate next week.
Lots of bowles mauve around which is just as well as mine died having moved it just before the heatwave.

wort

I'm pretty sure the new Carol Klein garden programme showed her doing cuttings of wallflower. I watched on catch up 

twopenny

Thanks I'll check it out. Finding a branch that hasn't flowered is the problem now.

Might just have to use an old flowering bit, cut off the flowers and give it a go. Better an chance than not trying.