Growing Hedges From Cuttings

Locate healthy wood from the current year’s growth on the hedge. Ideally, the cutting should be firm yet flexible and snap when bent. Take a 4-inch cutting from the tip of its branch using sharp, sterilized pruning scissors.

Wrap the cutting in a moist paper towel to keep it from drying out until you plant it. Take more than one cutting because not all develop roots.

Fill a 4-inch pot with equal parts sand and peat moss or pumice and peat moss. Irrigate the growing medium deeply, until excess water flows out through the drainage holes at the base of the pot.

Using a pencil or a finger, poke two to three evenly spaced holes through the medium to make way for the cuttings.

Pinch all the leaves from each cutting, leaving only two or three at the top to help during photosynthesis.

Pour rooting hormone in a flat container, and immerse the lower end of the cuttings into it. Tap excess powder from each cutting before immediately inserting it into the planting hole.

Firm the medium around each cutting so it stands upright. Bend a wire coat hanger into a U and insert its ends into the medium along the pot rim. The top of the inverted hanger should fall several inches higher than the tops of the cuttings so it prevents the bag from touching the foliage. That allows cuttings to receive equal sunlight.

Slide the pot into a clear plastic bag. Secure the mouth of the bag with floral wire or an elastic band.

Place the pot in a well-lit area but away from direct sunlight. Water the growing medium regularly so it remains evenly moist until the cuttings root, which occurs in four to five weeks.