Plants for Free - How to Propagate Lavender

Tanya
by Tanya
Medium
Learn how to grow dozens of new Lavender plants from cuttings taken from a single shrub. Propagating lavender will save you money and help you build fantastic swathes and hedges of this gorgeous and fragrant plant.
Lavender can be successfully propagated in various ways depending on the time of year. One of the best ways for spring right through summer is to take cuttings. Cuttings are essentially pieces of the parent plant that are then stimulated to take root themselves.
Lavender is one of the easiest plants to propagate from cuttings - whether the stem you take is fresh and green or woody.


Using a very sharp knife cut just below a leaf node about five cm (2 inches) from the top of the cutting. A leaf node is any place along the stem where the joints of leaves grow out of and you can see what this means in the above photo. Using scissors is not a good idea for this step either, in case you had it in mind. They actually pinch the stem as they cut and partially close the stem making rooting difficult.
Now dip the bottom 3 cm (3/4 inch) of the stem into your Rooting Compound and then bury the cutting along the edge of a small pot filled with suitable compost. You want the compost to be able to retain moisture but to be free draining so 50% ordinary compost mixed with 50% Perlite.
After your cuttings have been prepared and planted in the compost water them thoroughly but gently. Place them in a warm place such as a greenhouse or conservatory and place a plastic bag over the top. The bag helps to retain warmth and moisture and is essential unless you're using a dedicated propagator set-up.
Rooting will take place within the next 1-2 months after which they can be gently taken out, potted up individually and placed outside in a cold frame to harden off. Once they are about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) tall they can then be planted outside in slightly alkaline and free-draining soil.
For more detail on this tutorial, please follow the blog link URL. Thanks for reading :)
Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Pauline Johnston Pauline Johnston on Nov 19, 2016
    Is there a special time of the year to propagate lavender?
  • DC DC on Feb 15, 2020

    Maybe a silly question, but can you use sprigs of lavender or mint, basil etc from the the refrigerated section of the grocery store? In my store they are in sealed packages and 'fresh'. I know that time has passed since cutting, but are they dead, or could they take on roots if I followed your instructions?

Comments
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4 of 11 comments
  • Tula Tula on Dec 01, 2017

    My lavender plant is sad and looks like it is dying. I live in South Florida. The pot get indirect light and is well watered. Please advise! :(

    • See 1 previous
    • John Just John Just on Feb 15, 2020

      The roots do NOT like staying wet !

  • Sherry Sherry on Mar 19, 2022

    Thank you so much for this prop. information. I have one lavendar and want more.

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