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or gritHormone rooting powder (optional)November - February15 minutes Look for well-ripened, pencil-thick shoots and remove them horizontally below a node, leaf joint or bud, using secateurs.Prepare each cutting by removing the shoot tip just above a bud

- September45 minutesYou can take cuttings from any type of rose you choose, but just make sure you select long, strong, healthy stems from this season's growth, not old wood.Make the cuttings 25cm long, cutting above a bud at the top to remove the shoot tip

are at their freshest.Remove the polythene bag once a day and shake out excess water to prevent conditions becoming too humid inside.More plant cuttings projectsTake dahlia cuttings - advice from Sarah RavenLearn how to take basal cuttings, with Carol KleinHow to take

boardPotsFree-draining compost, equal parts multi-purpose and perliteClear polythene bagsJune - September1 hourRemove a healthy leaf, lay it on the cutting board and, using a clean, sharp knife, cut it into pieces the size of a large stamp. Each portion

Sharp knifeRooting hormone (powder or liquid)Wire or stick CompostHeavy stone June - September 30 minutesSelect a suitably low-growing and pliable young branch that will bend down to soil level. Remove any side-shoots but keep the cluster of leaves at the end

roots.Wash the roots in water to remove any soil. Using a sharp knife, cut off 5cm lengths of healthy roots. When you've finished taking cuttings, you can replant the parent plant.Fill pots with gritty compost and lay the root cuttings, well-spaced apart

them (they will turn brown and papery as they mature), and store in a cool, dry place.Calendula seedEnvelopeSilica gelAirtight containerautumn or spring20 minutesWhen the seedheads have developed fully, remove them from the plant and lay them on a sheet

-rotted manure)autumn or springan hourPrepare the soil by thoroughly digging it over, removing weeds and mixing in organic matter such as well-rotted manure. A week before planting, scatter general fertiliser granules over the area and fork in, then rake

. Remove a generous bunch with secateurs.Squash the berries onto a sheet of kitchen towel and clean away the skin and flesh to expose the bare seeds. Alternatively, clean away the flesh by running them under the cold tap in a sieve.Fill a small pot

or in a heated propagator. Keep compost moist.Remove cover as soon as seedlings emerge and grow on in a warm place indoors. They are ready to be 'pricked' out when the first 'true' leaves emerge.Only handle seedlings by their first seed leaves. Fill a seed