Hebes root easily from softwood cuttings, particularly in the summer.
Taking softwood cuttings from your hebes, and indeed any plant, is a useful way of getting new plants for free. You can also take softwood cuttings from plants like penstemons, chrysanthemums, asters and delphiniums.
Once you’ve taken your hebe cuttings, place them in a propagator or in a tray on the windowsill with a clear polythene bag as a cover. Pot them all up individually when you spot roots poking out the bottom of the pot.
Take more cuttings:
Find out how to take hebe cuttings, below.
You Will Need
- Sharp knife or secateurs
- Small pots
- Multi-purpose compost
Total time:
Step 1
Choose thick, compact shoots from a healthily growing shrub and snip off with secateurs or a sharp knife.
Step 2
Reduce the cuttings to 8-10cm in length and then remove the lower leaves, leaving three sets at the top. Pinch out the soft tip and trim the base to just below where a leaf has been removed.
Step 3
Make a hole in the compost with a dibber and insert the cutting. Firm it in, then soak thoroughly with tepid water.
