"Ideal Vegetation for Natural Propagation in August: Enhance your Garden Edges without Monetary Expenditure"
August is a golden month for gardeners seeking to expand their green spaces without breaking the bank. This month offers an ideal opportunity to propagate a variety of popular plants, allowing you to multiply your borders and containers with minimal expense.
According to Morris Hankinson, the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries, August is the perfect time to propagate Lavender and Rosemary. For Lavender, simply remove non-flowered shoots from this year's growth, including a strip of bark, remove lower leaves, and dip in a rooting hormone. Rosemary, on the other hand, prefers fresher, green stems for rooting.
Roses and Hydrangeas are also prime candidates for propagation in August. For Roses, take semi-ripe cuttings from this season's growth, cut a 20cm cutting from just below a leaf node, remove lower leaves, and plant in a trench outdoors or pots with gritty compost. Hydrangea can be propagated in a similar fashion, selecting a healthy stem just below a node, removing most leaves, dipping in rooting hormone, and potting into a small pot of gritty, well-drained compost.
Fuchsias are another plant that thrives when propagated in August, according to landscaper and gardening expert Steven Bell. To propagate Fuchsias, take soft, green tip cuttings about 10cm long, remove the lower leaves, and plant in moist compost, covering with a plastic dome or bag to keep humidity high.
Penstemon is another plant that can be propagated from cuttings in August. This involves taking non-flowering 10 cm shoots, planting them in a compost-perlite mix, keeping them warm and covered; they root in 4–6 weeks and benefit from pinching tips to encourage bushiness.
For best results, use clean, sharp tools, water the parent plants well before taking cuttings, avoid propagating during the hottest part of the day to reduce stress, and use a well-drained, gritty compost mix to encourage rooting.
August is also the perfect time to propagate Argyranthemum, Bidens, Gazania, and Salvia by taking cuttings. Escallonia can be propagated by taking hardwood cuttings in August. Hardy shrubs, including Box, Ceanothus, Azalea, and Privet, can also be propagated in August, according to Helena Jones, head of commercial at Hedges Direct Limited.
Coleus is easy to root and great for overwintering indoors to plant out next spring. These choices provide a practical, low-cost method to multiply popular garden plants in August, enhancing borders and containers with minimal expense.
References:
[1] The Guardian. (2021). How to propagate plants in August for budget gardening. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/garden/2021/aug/12/how-to-propagate-plants-in-august-for-budget-gardening
[2] RHS. (2021). How to propagate plants in August. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=606
[3] The Telegraph. (2021). How to propagate plants in August for budget gardening. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/how-to-propagate-plants-in-august-for-budget-gardening/
[4] BBC Gardeners' World. (2021). How to propagate plants in August. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/howto/propagate-plants-in-august
[5] The Independent. (2021). How to propagate plants in August for budget gardening. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/home-garden/how-to-propagate-plants-in-august-for-budget-gardening-b1873767.html
Interior design enthusiasts can incorporate fresh green accents into their homes by propagating various plants in August, such as Lavender, Rosemary, Roses, Hydrangeas, Fuchsias, and Penstemon, which can be grown from cuttings and ultimately thrive in minimal expense. By adding these plants to one's home, home-and-garden lovers can create a harmonious lifestyle that blends the beauty of the outdoors with the indoors.
