Take Cuttings From These 6 Plants in July and Get Dozens More for Free – Fill Out Your Garden Without Spending a Penny!

For some reason, I regularly “forget” that I can propagate more than a few plants from cuttings in summer. Then July arrives, and I have to look up the list of plants. It’s particularly odd since I grow (and love!) most of the plants that are top candidates for rooting from cuttings in July.

What are the best bets in July if you want to root plants from cuttings? It’s the best time to take softwood and semi-ripe cuttings – cuttings taken from the current year’s growth – of some of my very favorite plants, including herbs, shrubs, climbers, and perennials. Grab your favorite set of pruners (our editors are particularly fond of the affordable and sturdy Fiskars bypass pruners from Amazon) and get to work before July ends.

Ready, set, let’s propagate!

Take Cuttings From These 6 Plants in July

Taking summer cuttings is particularly easy because you don’t have to dig around to find a good branch to cut. You just snip off the top few inches of new growth from plants. Yes, you’ll need to clip off the bottom few leaves of each cutting, but that’s it. Then just push the cut end of each one into a small pot of moist potting soil.

1. Rosemary

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) can be grown year-round in USDA hardiness zones 8-11, but can be grown indoors during colder months. This aromatic herb is always a popular addition to herb gardens given its use in cooking and its amazing, indigo blue flowers that appeal to pollinators. So no bi surprise that folks may want to start up a few additional plants.

Taking cuttings to propagate rosemary is easy. Just look for flexible, green tips of stems and snip off cuttings some 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) long. Remove the leaves from the lower half, then carefully remove the outer layer of tissue on the bottom inch (2.5 cm) with a sharp garden knife. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone, which can be found at Amazon, and pop into a small pot filled with well-draining soil. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. Expect roots within a month.

2. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) are the work horses of my flower garden, creating large, rounded bushes full of large, bright flower heads in summer. Double or triple your pleasure by propagating your favorite hydrangeas in July. They thrive in USDA zones 3-9.

Whatever hydrangea variety you grow (I grow smooth, panicle, and mophead), you can take cuttings in July. Snip off healthy, flexible, non-flowering shoots that have grown this year. Make the cuttings 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) long, then remove the lowest leaves. Many recommend cutting the remaining leaves in half before “planting” the cuttings in pots filled with well-draining potting mix. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. New roots should form in a few weeks.

3. Lavender

With its glorious fragrance, silver-green foliage, and purple blooms, lavender (Lavandula spp.) has many fans. This versatile herb might be in your herb garden or in your flower beds, but regardless of whether or not you use lavender for cooking, you can root cuttings and propagate new lavender plants in July. Summer is a good time for propagating lavender while it is actively growing.

Take cuttings from healthy stems that grew this year. Pick non-flowering stems that have grown this year and clip off 4-6 inch (10-15 cm) cuttings. Remove the lower leaves, dip the bottom in rooting hormone, and place the cuttings in pots filled with well-draining soil or compost. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. Expect roots in a month.

4. Fuchsia

Fuchsias (Fuchsia spp.) are classic, colorful and reliable flowering plants and that has made them popular for centuries. With bold, bell-shaped flowers in pink, purple, red and white, fuchsias put on a show in summer.

Have one fuchsia? You’ll definitely want a few more. Fortunately, fuchsias are among the easiest plants to grow from cuttings and summer is the perfect time to act. Take 6 inch (15cm) cuttings from new growth that is healthy and full of leaves. Remove all leaves from each cutting other than the top two. Dip the cut ends in rooting hormone, then stick them into pots filled with well-draining soil. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. You should see roots appear in a month.

5. Annual Geraniums

Now, annual geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) are not really annuals. They are hardy in USDA zones 9-12 (which includes my home in San Francisco), but are grown in cooler zones as annuals. Mine offer beautiful red flowers all summer and fall. They too are plants that tend to spread, but you can also “make” new plants by taking and rooting geranium cuttings in July.

Take firm, green shoots without any flowers some 4-6 inches (10-15cm) long. Remove leaves on the bottom half and push the cut ends into well-draining potting soil. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Look for roots in 3-4 weeks.

6. Sage

Was there ever a plant that grows more joyfully than sage (Salvia spp.)? These perennials shoot up so readily into long-lasting flower spikes and spread so merrily that they always look to me as if they are singing. They have a lovely fragrance and bright petals too, yet are tough as nails, drought-tolerant and low-maintenance.

Salvias do tend to spread, but if you want more plants to offer neighbors, July is the time to take and root cuttings from your sage plants. These guys are so eager to grow that potting soil is not necessary. Take 4-6 inch (10-15 cm) cuttings from healthy, non-flowering stems, clip off the lower leaves, then pop the cuttings in water. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. Roots appear in about four weeks.