Layering a shrib is ideal if you only want one or two additional new plants to give to friends or to move to a different part of the garden and it’s also easier than taking cuttings.

Layering a shrub is when you encourage a stem to root and grow whilst it is still attached to the parent shrub and is perfect for those that are difficult to grow from shrubs, such as rhododendrums or magnolias.  It takes about a year for the shrub to grow sufficiently but can take up to two years for difficult shrubs.  Here’s how:

Choose the shoot

Pick a young shoot whilst it is still flexible so you can bend it to the ground.  Where it touches the ground, work in some well-rotted organic matter or compost.

Prepare the shoot

About 15 - 23 cm (6 - 9 inches) from the tip of the shoot, use a knife to create a shallow, sloping cut that it is about 2.5 - 5 cm (1 - 2 inches) long.  Cut no more than a third of the way through the stem and then dust the cut surfaces with hormone rooting powder.

Bury the stem

The stem needs to be buried about 2.5 - 5 cm (1 - 2 inches) deep along about 15 cm (6 inches) of its length.  At the other end, you should have around 15 cm (6 inches) of the stem sticking out of the soil.  It will spring back into place if you don’t hold it down with a wirepin.  Now leave it for a year or two

When is it ready

When the shrub is ready, it will look like a freestanding young shrub of its own and will have grown its own roots.  You’ll need to dig the layer up carefully and sever the original shoot/stem that is still linking it to its parent.  You can now move the new shrub to its new home.