7 Plants to Propagate From Cuttings in May to Expand Your Garden Fast & for Free
May is one of the best times to propagate cuttings and these plants are especially easy to start now. Follow my top tips for quick propagation.
Laura Walters
Buying more plants is the obvious way to expand a garden, but propagating cuttings is free. Take stem cuttings from healthy plants this month and you can root them, pot them up, and grow them for no cost this summer.
May is one of the best times to root plants from cuttings. Growth is active, stems are still pliable, and the warmth cuttings need to establish is here. It’s a simple and fun activity that saves money and lets you easily expand your garden.
The plants below are the best choices for May propagation, but each one has slightly different needs. I’ll share my top tips to help you get the most out of your May cuttings.
Propagation Essentials
Rooting hormone gives plant cuttings a boost when forming new roots.
These petite pruners make taking cuttings for propagation easy and efficient.
Plant cuttings form roots quickly in perlite and there's less risk of rotting.
1. Hydrangea
A single established hydrangea can yield a dozen cuttings in one session without the parent plant noticing. They prefer partial shade and consistent moisture and once they’re settled, they’re long-lived and don’t ask for much.
Take softwood hydrangea cuttings before new growth hardens. Stems should bend without snapping. Cut below a leaf node, strip the lower leaves, dip in a rooting hormone like this one from Bonide, and push cuttings into a perlite and peat mix.
Cover loosely with a plastic bag to hold humidity and keep out of direct sun. Roots tend to form in roughly three to four weeks.
2. Rosemary
Rosemary handles drought well once it’s established, but it needs full sun and gets woody and straggly without occasional trimming.
If you prune rosemary plants in May, it’s worth keeping your trimmings. Use them to propagate rosemary into new plants that can fill gaps in an herb bed, go into containers, or be passed on to friends or neighbors.
Cut 4 to 6-inch (10-15 cm) cuttings from non-flowering stem tips, remove the lower two-thirds of leaves, and place into a gritty perlite and compost potting mix. You can amend whatever potting mix you already have on hand by adding more perlite, which you can get from the Home Depot.
Rosemary roots slowly – it takes around four to eight weeks – but May’s warmth keeps growth moving. Don’t overwater cuttings as rot sets in faster when roots form in wet conditions. Misting rather than regular watering is the best approach until roots are established.
3. Lavender
Lavender from a garden center is expensive, especially for how straightforward it is to propagate. This plant wants full sun, excellent drainage, and lean soil. Rich amended beds push leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
May is ideal for propagating lavender cuttings because new growth is long enough to work with but hasn’t set buds yet, which is the best time to take softwood cuttings.
Take 3 to 4-inch (7-10 cm) long cuttings from non-flowering shoots, strip the lower leaves, and plant into a very free-draining gritty potting mix. Bottom heat helps if you have a heating mat like this one from Amazon, but it isn’t required.
Keep cuttings in a warm spot. Without sufficient warmth, expect rooting to take four to six weeks. New plants will root faster with a heating mat. Overwatering is what kills lavender cuttings. Letting them dry out slightly between waterings is far less of a problem than keeping them consistently wet.
4. Fuchsia
Fuchsia doesn’t mind being cut back for propagation. The parent plant recovers fast and new plants taken in early May have a full season to fill out and actually flower before summer ends. Partial shade, consistent moisture, and hanging baskets suit this plant well. In fact, the unique pendant flowers are best seen from below.
Soft tip cuttings that are 2 to 3 inches (5-7 cm) long root in as little as two weeks in May. To propagate fuchsia, take your tip cuttings, remove the lowest leaves, and push them into a moist propagation potting mix like this one from Amazon. There’s no need for rooting hormone with this plant.
Pot up new plants once the cuttings resist a gentle tug. They won’t resist until there are roots holding plants in the soil. Pinch back the growing tip after potting or it may become tall and leggy rather than bushing out.
5. Pelargonium
Pelargoniums, or what most people call geraniums, are probably the most forgiving cuttings on this list. They can sit out of soil for an hour before planting and still root without issue. They like full sun, moderate watering, and plenty of good drainage. May cuttings have a full season to bulk up before needing to be overwintered or replaced.
To propagate geraniums, snip 3 to 4-inch (7-10 cm) stem cuttings just below a leaf node. Remove lower leaves and then let the cut end dry and callus over for an hour or two before planting. That callusing step prevents the risk of rot
Put cuttings into a free-draining potting mix and keep it on the dryer side until roots establish. No humidity tent or rooting hormone is needed – pelargonium cuttings root in two to three weeks.
Small terracotta pots from Amazon work well for propagating. The clay wicks excess moisture away, which suits pelargoniums better than plastic containers.
6. Mint
Mint spreads so aggressively that most gardeners keep it contained in pots. The same vigor that makes it a nuisance in borders makes it exceptionally easy to propagate.
Cuttings root in water within a week during the month of May. Take 4 to 6-inch (10-15 cm) stem cuttings, strip the lower leaves, and place in a glass of water on a bright windowsill.
Roots appear in about five to ten days. Once they’re 1 inch (2.5 cm) or longer, pot up into regular compost. That’s it. Mint tolerates partial shade and wants consistent moisture.
You can also propagate mint directly into compost and skip the water step. Both methods work well, but the water method is useful for seeing exactly when roots form.
7. Salvia
Ornamental and culinary salvia varieties both propagate well from softwood cuttings in May. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Many of the tender salvia varieties sold as annuals in colder climates can be overwintered as rooted cuttings rather than bought new each year.
If you overwintered your plants or they survived outdoors over the cold months, May is the perfect time to propagate salvia cuttings. Take 3 to 4-inch (7-10 cm) long cuttings from non-flowering stem tips, strip the lower leaves, and place into a gritty potting mix like this one from Rosy Soil.
Rooting hormone helps, but isn’t essential. Salvia enjoys a warm spot with indirect light. Make sure to keep the medium just moist, not soggy. Roots form in two to four weeks or so.
