How to Take a Cutting From Lavender

If you want to increase your lavender garden, taking cuttings from the established lavender plants is a great way to start those new plants. Flowers further along in their bloom cycle will be more fragile than if cut earlier. Lavenders tend to bloom for about five weeks. You can experiment by taking cuttings at different times during the harvest to find the best time. It is best to choose nonflowering shoots from this year's growth. Make sure the plant is free from pests and diseases.

Pots
Potting soil
Lavender plant
Plastic bag
Knife
Rooting powder

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a pot or flat with sterile potting soil that drains well or horticultural vermiculite.
- 2
  Pull a side shoot of young new growth away from the main stem of the lavender plant. Grab the top of the branch and break off a piece 4 to 8 inches long, leaving a thin strip of bark, or heel, attached. The heel is important to the lavender cutting since this is where the roots of a new plant begin to develop.
- 3
  Trim off any excess bark with a knife.
- 4
  Remove the lower set of leaves on the cutting to create a length of bare stem.
- 5
  Wrap the cuttings in moist paper towels or wet newspaper if you are making several cuttings at one time. Place them in a plastic bag to keep moist and keep them in a cool spot until ready to plant.
- 6
  Dip the lower end into water. Nip off any flower heads at this time. Insert the cut end deeply into the soil in the pot. Only about 1 inch of the plant should be above ground.

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