Kitchen Garden Forum

I have two different lavenders on my allotment and they are smashing.I take cuttings from them every year following R.H.S. guidelines but I can't get them to root.Any further advice would be appreciated.

Hi Snooky,
There are two periods that are best for Lavender cuttings which are for tip (soft wood) cuttings April and May and for Hardwood cuttings August and September. In between these periods it is possible that the vibrancy needed to produce roots is not available. The soft wood cuttings taken April and May would give you a plant well established enough to withstand the rigours of the winter. The Hardwood cuttings would not be ready to pot on until the following spring. I must admit that I have always taken soft wood cuttings which here root quite easily in a mixture of Peat and sharp sand with about a quarter of an inch of horticultural grit in the base of the module. Soft wood cuttings do not need any hormone root treatment but I would suggest that with hard wood cuttings it may be best to use the Hormone treatment.
JB.

I don't really take cuttings, but shove the prunings into pots of compost and sharp sand when I've taken the shears to them after flowering. They are probably 4 to 6 inches long. Just wait until you see roots out of the bottom of the pots and then plant them out. I cover the "cuttings" quite deeply. They don't all take, but if you put plenty in then you should end up with quite a few new plants.

They will probably correspond to Johnboy's semi to hardwood cuttings at that time of year

Thanks J.B. and PLUMPUDDING for your suggestions.I shall try again this year and with a little luck be successful.

Always found Laveneder roots best from semi ripe cuttings..mid/late summer ..50/50 peat and sharp sand mixture ..also works well if placed direct into a shaded cold frame..