How to propagate plants from your garden

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And it’s easy to grow more, without buying more – yep, you read right! You can fill every nook and cranny and grow your own little backyard florist just by taking cuttings or propagating from your (or your neighbours!) existing flowers.

Get the gear:

Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix
Sharp secateurs
Yates Clonex Root Gel - Softwood and Semi-Hard Wood Purple
Hand mister filled with water
Pencil
Small Pot or planting tray
Plastic bag or plastic dome made from an upturned drink bottle
Selection of plants (Certain plants strike (or take root) easier than others. These include: dianthus, fushias, chrysanthemums, lavender and geraniums).

Before you start:

Take cuttings early in the morning before the heat of the day.
Cut off the stems or branches where most of the new growth is showing.
If you are not going to propagate until later in the day, wrap the cut stems in lightly moistened newspaper and place into a refrigerator. Some cuttings can last 1-2 days in these conditions.

Let’s get propagating:

Fill the base of the planting tray or pot with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix and lightly moisten top with water. 
Using a pencil, poke evenly spaced holes in the mix for your cuttings. 
From the tip of your plant, measure approximately 10cm down and cut just below a node. Tip! Nodes are the slightly bulgy sections on the stems, where leaves appear. Cutting just below the node is where the roots will form. 
Remove lower leaves from the cutting, leaving a maximum of two leaves at the tip. 
Dip the end of the cutting into Yates Clonex Root Gel - Softwood and Semi-Hard Wood Purple, then insert the into the prepared holes. Lightly backfill and compact so the stems stay upright. 
Mist the leaves with water and cover with a plastic bag or dome.
Position the plants in a spot where it will receive filtered light and is protected from the hot afternoon sun and strong winds. 
Mist regularly to keep up the humidity. Avoid watering from the base as this can cause rot. 
After a couple of weeks, check if your cuttings are ready by carefully pulling on them gently. If they are hard to remove, then they have taken well and can be transplanted into larger pots or planters. If there are no roots, but the cutting is not showing any signs of blackening or rot at the base, place it back into the soil, continue to mist well and check its progress every couple of weeks. 
Once your plants are full-grown, remember to feed them well with Yates Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate to boost their posy potential!