How can I reproduce Mexican sunflowers?

Fran Collins
by Fran Collins
Thanks!
  2 answers
  • William William on Feb 25, 2017

    You hear stories about sticking stems in the ground and having them root, but most gardeners prefer to use more successful techniques. Even though this is a vigorous perennial sunflower, also known as Maximilian sunflower, that grows to more than 10 feet tall, it's probably best to start the cuttings in a container of loose potting soil or vermiculite. Here, you can carefully control the light levels, water and humidity. The cuttings in this case are usually made 4 to 6 inches long. Stick the base of the cutting 2 inches deep and upright into the container of rooting medium. Keep the container in a filtered-sun location and moisten at least daily -- more if you can. Many gardeners also like to surround their containers of cuttings with clear plastic to help maintain high humidity during the rooting process. This sunflower roots freely and should be ready to transplant to the garden in about eight weeks. Just give it plenty of room to grow. ..... Cutting Selection .....The central stalk of perennial sunflowers seldom makes a viable cutting, so it is better to take propagation material from the more vigorous and succulent side shoots. A 4- to 6-inch-long stem with mature leaves and no buds or flowers will root best and produce a shapelier plant. Sever the cutting where it attaches to the main stem using very sharp scissors or a utility knife, and then cut off the lowest set of leaves to expose the root-producing nodes. Also, snip off the top 1/2 inch of the cutting and remove all but two terminal leaves to remove any nascent flower buds and limit moisture loss through transpiration.