Propagating Diervilla Lonicera

Use sharp garden shears to take a cutting from your Diervilla lonicera in late spring to early summer. Make the cutting approximately 6 to 8 inches long with a diagonal slice to expose a large amount of the stem to water and rooting hormone. Take a young stem for the best chance of propagation.

Fill a plastic sandwich bag with water and place the cutting into it with the sliced side down. Fasten the bag around the stem tightly with a twist tie. Keep the cutting in the bag until you are ready to proceed with the rooting process or up to two hours. This prevents the stem from drying out until you are ready to plant it; this step is unnecessary if you plan to plant it within five minutes of taking the cutting.

Remove the cutting from the sandwich bag and clip off leaves on the lower half of the stem with the shears. Dip the cut end of the Diervilla lonicera stem into a rooting hormone and set it on a clean surface.

Fill a planter with crushed perlite and soak it until water runs out of the drainage holes. Poke the cutting in the center of the planter, halfway up its length. Pour the water out of the sandwich bag and place it over the planter to create a miniature greenhouse. Secure the bag on the planter with a rubber band.

Place your Diervilla lonicera clipping on a sunny windowsill and soak the perlite whenever condensation fades from the bag. Remove the bag when the clipping begins to produce new leaves. This should be within two to four weeks.

Blend equal amounts of potting soil, compost and sand in a planter evenly up to 1 inch to the top. Hold the cutting between your fingers and flip its current container over. Support the roots gently and make a hole in the center of the soil-filled planter large enough to hold them. Place the roots in the hole and pack the soil around them loosely.

Place a 1-inch layer of mulch over the soil in the planter and moisten the cutting until water leaks form the drainage holes. If you live in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10, Diervilla lonicera can grow outdoors without issue. Otherwise, grow it indoors.

Set your Diervilla lonicera in a sunny location and water it when the soil is dry on the top layer beneath the mulch.