Summer is the perfect time to propagate some of your favorite plants from cuttings. During this peak growing period, many cuttings root quickly and easily. Though it can take some extra effort and patience as the cuttings root, it’s a great way to save money. Plus, it’s always rewarding to see your efforts pay off in new growth.
Though not all plants propagate well from summer cuttings, there are many varieties that are easy to cut and root before fall arrives. Our plant experts have compiled a list of the best plants to propagate from cuttings before summer ends.
Find out which perennials and shrubs you should root now while the summer sun still shines. Plus, discover expert tips about rooting plant cuttings the right way.
How to Take Summer Cuttings
Propagation by cutting involves removing part of a growing plant, setting it up to grow new roots, then transplanting it into a container or into the ground. If you do it right, you’ll get a whole new plant that is a clone of the original.
Have some favorites in the garden? By taking cuttings, you can grow more of them for free. You can take a stem cutting from an herbaceous plant any time of year, including in summer. Woody plants are best propagated by one of three types of stem cuttings:
- Softwood: Softwood cuttings are taken from new growth in spring and early summer. They are typically the easiest type to root.
- Semi-hardwood: Summer is the perfect time to take semi-hardwood cuttings, also known as semi-ripe cuttings. These come from stems that are more mature than softwood but not yet completely woody.
- Hardwood: Some plants are best rooted from hardwood cuttings taken from mature stems of dormant plants.
When taking a cutting, always use a clean and sharp pair of pruners, like this best-selling pair from Fiskars on Amazon. Choose a healthy stem from which you can cut at least 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 12.5 cm).
Find a node, where leaves emerge from the stem, and cut just above it. Trim the cutting to just below the next node and remove the leaves from the lower third of the cutting. Place cuttings in moist soil or potting mix to root.
Best Plants to Propagate From Cuttings in Summer
These plants are some of the best varieties to propagate in summer. You can easily take semi-hardwood cuttings that will grow into more beautiful plants for your garden.
1. Lavender
Lavender is a favorite herb of many gardeners. Whether you grow it in containers or beds, you can always use more, right? Multiple lavender plants make a gorgeous and fragrant border or low hedge.
Summer is the ideal time to propagate lavender from cuttings. Choose a healthy stem that isn’t flowering. Your lavender shoots should begin to root in two to four weeks.
2. Rosemary
Rosemary is another woody herb you can propagate by semi-hardwood summer cuttings. Choose a healthy stem that is firm and semi-mature, but not woody. Woody cuttings from rosemary are unlikely to root, but fresher, newer growth roots very readily in moist potting mix.
To propagate rosemary, choose shorter, greener stems because these are easiest to root.
3. Coleus
Many gardeners grow this striking foliage plant as an annual and let it die over winter. This year, try taking coleus cuttings that you can root and allow to grow indoors over winter. By the last frost of spring, you’ll be ready to harden them off and transplant outdoors for another season.
Propagating coleus cuttings is very easy. They should begin developing roots within a few weeks.
4. Geranium
Geraniums are another annual that many gardeners let die in early fall or when the first frost comes. These tender tropicals don’t survive most winter gardens, but you can keep plants going through winter and into next spring if you take cuttings in summer.
Propagate geraniums from cuttings in late summer or early fall and root them indoors in a good potting medium, like this Miracle-Gro mix from Amazon, where they can stay until spring. Choose a stem without flowers or remove any flowers or buds before rooting the cutting.
5. Salvia
Salvia is a full sun perennial, often grown as an annual, with dramatic spikes of flowers that attract bees and butterflies. Salvia is easy to grow and adds color to the garden for most of the growing season. It’s easy to propagate, too.
You can root salvia cuttings from either spring softwood or summer semi-hardwood branches to grow more of this beautiful plant.
6. Boxwood
Don’t restrict your summer cuttings to flowers and perennials. Summer is an ideal time to take semi-hardwood cuttings from boxwood shrubs. Take a cutting that is 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long and remove the lower leaves before rooting.
Rooting boxwood cuttings is easy, but it does take time. You should get roots within several weeks to a few months. By next spring, you’ll have baby boxwoods to transplant.
7. Escallonia
The group of shrubs and small trees called Escallonia are easiest to propagate via semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer or early fall.
Take 4 to 6 inch (10 to 15 cm) long cuttings of non-flowering stems and root them in a moist potting mix. Look for root formation within a month or two.
8. Firethorn
Firethorn is a non-native, but increasingly popular shrub known for its abundance of spring flowers, followed by bright orange berries. It also has growth that makes it a good privacy screen.
Firethorn is best propagated in summer with semi-hardwood cuttings that are easy to take and root.
