Waxy Privet Propagation

Softwood Cuttings

• Propagation via softwood cuttings is a dependable way to propagate waxy privet. Although softwood cuttings usually root in three to six weeks, it takes about three years to develop good-sized shrubs. Plant softwood cuttings -- 3- to 5-inch stems removed from the plant in midsummer -- in pots and place them in bright, indirect light. When the cuttings root, plant them in larger containers and let them mature until they are large enough to plant outdoors. Often, waxy privet is mature enough to plant outdoors in spring; however, an additional year allows the plant to mature, increasing the chance of long-term success.

Hardwood Cuttings

• Hardwood cuttings -- fully mature branches measuring about 8 inches in length -- are taken from larger branches than softwood cuttings. This is because rooting is slower and the cuttings, taken from late autumn to midwinter, need extra nutrients to survive until spring. Although propagating hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs is a fairly easy project, rooting hardwood cuttings from waxy privet and other evergreen shrubs is more complicated, since the cuttings require warmth and humidity. Waxy privet is generally propagated in pots in a greenhouse environment.

Simple Layering

• Simple layering is an easy way to propagate waxy privet, but the process usually requires at least a year. The best growth for layering is a young, flexible, 2- to 3-foot branch growing low on the plant. Bend the branch and use a bent wire to pin the branch to the ground at a point about 18 inches from the tip of the branch. To facilitate rooting, cultivate the soil first, and dig in chopped bark or compost to improve drainage. When the branch is well rooted, sever it from the parent plant. At this point, you can plant the newly rooted privet in its permanent location, or pot it up and let it continue to mature.

Seeds

• The easiest way to plant waxy privet by seed is to gather fresh seeds from the ripe berries of a mature plant in late autumn. Plant the seeds in containers and let them overwinter in a shady garden spot where the temperature is between 14 and 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant the seedlings in larger pots when they are big enough to survive transplantation -- usually the spring after planting or the spring one year later. Dry seeds are also suitable for planting in spring, but for the seeds to germinate, they first require a six-week chilling period in the refrigerator.