Salvia cuttings

Now is a good time to take salvia cuttings from this year’s new shoots. Salvias are easy to root and make wonderful long-flowering plants for the border. Most are hardy but propagating them now is good insurance in case you lose any plants over winter.

Choose shoots that haven’t flowered yet. Although flowering shoots are less easy to root, if there are no others and you pinch out the flowers there’s a good chance of success. The best shoots are found growing on the side of the plant that gets most light.

Collect the cutting material in the morning and put it into a plastic bag with a few drops of water to keep the cuttings moist. Keep them cool and plan to prepare and pot up the cuttings as soon as possible.

These cuttings will need humidity to root, so put them in a propagator with a lid or place the pot into the bottom of a plastic bag that you can close at the top to make a kind of tent, then place out of direct sunlight. Air them regularly and take them out of the propagator or bag after a few weeks once they are growing away.

Take cuttings in the early morning, when the plant is at its most hydrated