| I would like to know if you can propagate English Laurel from cuttings. If so, when is the best time to do it, and should I use a root hormone? |
Prepare some pots of sand/peat mixture that drains well but will keep a bit of moisture around the cuttings. Stick cuttings into the soil so the top third is exposed, and put the whole flat into a large, clear plastic bag with the end closed loosely. This creates high humidity around the cuttings and also allows some air circulation. Keep the rooting medium slightly moist, but don't let water stand in the drip tray under the pots, or the cuttings will drown and rot. Light should be bright but indirect. Roots should start forming within a month. You can check for this by inverting the pot gently in one hand and removing the pot with the other hand - you'll be able to see roots in the soil around the cuttings. Then move them to individual pots of potting soil, move them to slightly brighter light, and feed them at regular intervals (every couple of weeks) with half-strength plant food. Once they start leafing out and looking strong, you can place the pots outside for a while, and gradually move the pots into full sun. By the end of the summer, you can place them in a prepared nursery bed, where you can let them grow for another year before moving them to their permanent location. Have fun! |
