July is a prime time to propagate plants from the garden. Summertime plants generally have plenty of good growth that is at the ideal stage (softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings) and have plenty of time to make enough roots to overwinter well. Plus the summer heat helps cuttings to root fast. Whether you are just wanting more plants for your gardening, for friends, or for a plant sale now is a great time to take some cuttings. Here are 18 plants you can propagate in July!
1. Viburnum
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4-6 inch cuttings with at least two leaf nodes. Dip in rooting hormone and place in moist potting mix. (layering and division can also work well)
- Rooting Time: 4–8 weeks
- How to Propagate Viburnum
2. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Cut 3–5 inch tips from non-flowering shoots. Root in a well-draining mix.
- Rooting Time: 2–4 weeks
- How to Propagate Russian Sage from Cuttings
3. Salvia (Perennial types)
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Take 3–4 inch cuttings just below a node. Remove lower leaves and root in a bright, humid environment.
- Rooting Time: 2–3 weeks
- How to Root Salvia from Cuttings
4. Hydrangea (macrophylla, paniculata, etc.)
- Type of Cutting: Softwood or Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4–6 inch cuttings, remove lower leaves, and dip in rooting hormone. Keep moist and humid.
- Rooting Time: 3–4 weeks
- How to Propagate Hydrangea from Cuttings; How to Propagate Limelight Hydrangea from Cuttings
5. Boxwood (Buxus spp.)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4-inch cuttings from this season’s growth. Root in a sand/peat mix under humidity.
- Rooting Time: 4–6 weeks (may overwinter in the pot to develop)
- How to Propagate Boxwood from Cuttings
6. Arborvitae (Thuja spp.)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Pull 6–8 inch “heel” cuttings from side shoots. Dip in rooting hormone and keep in high humidity.
- Rooting Time: 6–8 weeks (may overwinter in propagation setup)
- How to Root Arborvitae from Cuttings
7. Spirea
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Take 3–4 inch tips from new green growth. Root easily in a moist medium with indirect light.
- Rooting Time: 2–4 weeks
8. Weigela
- Type of Cutting: Softwood to Semi-hardwood
- Method: Cut 4–6 inch non-flowering shoots. Remove lower leaves, dip in rooting hormone, and place in a light, moist area.
- Rooting Time: 3–5 weeks
9. Forsythia
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 6-inch cuttings from mid-season growth. Root outdoors in a shaded area or under plastic cover.
- Rooting Time: 4–6 weeks
10. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4–6 inch cuttings from healthy growth. Use rooting hormone and keep in dappled shade.
- Rooting Time: 3–6 weeks
- How to Propagate Ninebark
11. Rosemary
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Cut 3–4 inch tips, strip lower leaves, and place in perlite or sandy mix. Cover for humidity.
- Rooting Time: 2–4 weeks
- How to Propagate Rosemary
12. Coleus
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Take tip cuttings 3–5 inches long. Root in water or directly in soil. There is no need for rooting hormone for coleus to root successfully.
- Rooting Time: 1–2 weeks (very fast!)
- Propagating Coleus from Cuttings
13. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 5–6 inch cuttings, remove lower leaves, and root in moist media with bright light.
- Rooting Time: 4–6 weeks
- Propagating Crape Myrtle from Cuttings
14. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4–5 inch cuttings from this year’s growth. Use a peat/perlite mix and high humidity.
- Rooting Time: 6–8 weeks or longer
15. Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
- Type of Cutting: Softwood
- Method: Take 3–4 inch non-flowering tips. Strip lower leaves and root in sand or perlite mix. Avoid overwatering.
- Rooting Time: 3–4 weeks
- Propagating Lavender
16. Sedum (Stonecrop)
- Type of Cutting: Softwood (stem or leaf)
- Method: Take 2–4 inch cuttings, let them callous for 1–2 days, and plant in well-draining soil.
- Rooting Time: 1–2 weeks
- Rooting Sedum from Leaf Cuttings
17. Fig (Ficus carica)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 6–8 inch cuttings with several nodes. Root in a potting mix with high humidity or in a plastic bag setup.
- Rooting Time: 3–6 weeks (may root faster in a warm environment)
18. Camellia (Camellia japonica or sasanqua)
- Type of Cutting: Semi-hardwood
- Method: Take 4–6 inch cuttings in mid to late July. Root in acidic medium like peat/perlite. Requires high humidity.
- Rooting Time: 6–10 weeks (can take longer) I’ve had camellia cuttings take quite a while to root. As long as the cuttings are not dying they still have potential to root.
- How to Root Camellia from Cuttings (Link to GTHG YouTube video)
Some Helpful Propagation Tips:
- Rooting Hormone is often essential for woody plants and improves success rates. For fast rooting perennials or annuals it often isn’t necessary.
- Use bottom heat (70–75°F) and high humidity (covered trays, misting domes, or plastic bags) for best results.
- Provide indirect bright light, not direct sun, during rooting. Direct sun will dry the plants out too quickly and cause stress your plants don’t need while rooting. The shade of a tree can be a great place to root your cuttings!
This month is a fantastic opportunity to turn a few trimmings into a whole bunch of new of plants.
How to Propagate Catmint from Cuttings (Nepeta faassinii)
Last Saturday I was shopping at a nursery where I found a ‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint (Nepeta faassinii). I’ve talked about the benefits of Nepeta before so it may not be a surprise that I bought one. I planted the new perennial the other day in…
How to Propagate a Dogwood Tree from Cuttings (Cornus florida)
I successfully rooted a Florida dogwood (Cornus florida) from a cutting! This is a tree that’s been tricky in the past for me to propagate, and I finally had some success I think is worth sharing. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly what…
15 Gardening Tasks for April!
April is an amazing time of year to get in the garden. The weather is better, the soil is warming up, and the plants are coming alive from their winter rest. April is the time of year when gardeners need to be going full speed…
32 Plants You Can Propagate from Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood cuttings are cuttings that are taken from trees and shrubs that are fully mature, dormant stems. These cuttings are normally taken during the late fall or over winter several weeks before spring growth will begin. Hardwood cuttings differ from softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings. While…
Propagating Mums for Profit
It’s kind of an odd subject to bring up during spring but propagating mums for profit takes time. Spring is when you have to get started for fall mum sales. For the purposes of this article we are talking about the common chrysanthemum you find…
How to Propagate ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena
Flowering of the Purple Homestead Verbena If you haven’t tried growing ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena in your home garden you really should! I’ve used this purple flowering perennial in three places so far and can think of many more locations I would like to see them….
Discover more from Growing The Home Garden
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.