successfuL ProPagation

Ceanothus are not easy plants to propagate, although cuttings can be taken in summer. New growth should be selected which is firm at the base with a slightly soft tip. The cuttings are placed in a plastic bag and taken somewhere cool and shady to prepare immediately, before they begin to wilt. The bottom of each cutting is trimmed with a sharp cuttings knife, making a clean, slanted cut just below a leaf, and the lower leaves stripped to leave a 6in (15cm) long cutting. The cuttings are then inserted into a deep pot filled with cutting compost that has been firmed well to produce a solid surface to push them into. They should be placed so they are not touching one another, then watered well. The pot is covered with a clear plastic bag and secured with an elastic band. It is then positioned on a shady windowsill and checked for rooting at the end of autumn.