Propagating Abelia X Grandiflora

Propagation

• Propagation is a thrifty gardener's way of increasing her supply of a plant without a return trip to the nursery. Plants may be propagated by seed, division -- digging up and replanting the plant or its side shoots -- or by rooting a cutting. As a woody shrub, glossy abelia is most often propagated by cuttings from the growing tip of a healthy, mature specimen. Propagation by cutting results in a virtual "clone" of the plant sampled that can catch up to the growth of the parent plant much sooner than a shrub propagated by seed.

Timing

• The stems of woody plants, like glossy abelia, have three stages of growth -- softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood. A softwood stem is green and flexible to a point, though it can snap like a green bean when bent at a 90-degree angle, according to University of Kentucky Extension. Semi-hardwood stems have lost some of the green and have begun hardening to wood, but are still flexible. Hardwood stems are mature and woody, often more than a year old. Semi-hardwood cuttings from the tips of glossy abelia stems, taken from June to September, are most often recommended. Cuttings from hardwood can also be rooted, but the success rate is not as high.

Taking the Cutting

• Cut one or more 4- to 6-inch pieces from the tips of a mature glossy abelia plant with a sharp, clean knife. Cut at an angle so there is more exposed plant tissue, which increases the rooting area. Strip the leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the cuttings. Wrap the pieces in damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator if you can't begin the rooting process immediately.

Rooting the Cutting

• To root the cutting, dip the cut ends in a powdered rooting hormone and insert the cuttings into a 6-inch-diameter pot filled with moist potting soil. Poking a hole in the soil first with your pinky finger or a pencil can keep the rooting hormone from rubbing off. The cuttings should stand straight up and extend into the soil about 2 inches, or to just past one of little growing nodes -- a tiny bump on the stem that develops into a bud. If you only have one pot of cuttings, loosely cover it with a clear plastic bag to help keep it humid around the plant. Never place your cutting in direct sunlight while it is rooting and maintain the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preparing for Planting

• After a few weeks you should see signs of new growth. If you tug on the cutting and feel resistance, that means you have root growth. Unfasten the top of the plastic bag and slowly get your new glossy abelia plants used to the environment. Slowly decreasing humidity, increasing direct light and even decreasing temperature is a process called "hardening off" and keeps the plant from going into shock when it is eventually placed outdoors. Plant your glossy abelia in the spring in USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6 and at any time in zones 7, 8 and 9. Glossy abelia grows best in well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun to partial shade.