IS IT POSSIBLE TO PROPAGATE A SHRUB FROM A NEIHGBORS BUSH?I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD SNIP A PIECE AND GET IT TO ROOT.IS IT BETTER JUST TO BUY THE SHRUB MATURE?
I took a cutting from my neighbours shrub....which for the life of me I cannot remember it's name! It ha white flowers, strongly scented, citrusy....anyhow, took some soft wood cuttings in late spring, potted them up, and now I have 4 of them in the garden. They are only 2 years old, but already they are a good size. I guess it depends how fast the shrub grows, if it is a real slow grower, then you might prefer to buy a decent sized plant, but if you are like me and don't have the money to blow, and are prepared to wait, then it is very rewarding to do it from a cutting that is free!!
i know i am cheap too!that was the reason for my question!do they need special environment to produce roots?
I trimmed the stems to just below a leaf, removed half the leaves then planted them around the edge of a plastic pot filled with multi purpose compost. I then put a clear plastic sandwich bag over the pot and secure it with an elastic band to keep moisture in as the plants will naturally loose moisture through their leaves, and as they have no roots to take up water, you want to keep the surrounding air dense with moisture so they do not loose all their moisture and frazzle up! I stand the pot in a tray of water until the top of the compost looks damp, and then leave them somewhere bright but frost free - like a coldframe or greenhouse. I am impatient so tend to check after a few weeks, and as soon as I see new growth, I remove the plastic bag, give them a little drink, and then treat like any new plantlet.
