IN GARDENING, the numerous, seemingly mysterious terms can create the impression of tasks being more complicated than they really are. When it comes to taking cuttings of plants, (particularly those that you would take now) many books will focus on the technical side of the operation and what you need to do in order to keep your cuttings healthy. They can get rather tiresome as do many books or courses that stipulate methods as the 'correct way'. Yes, there are certain, basic requirements but it can be a very basic operation that requires very little kit and some basic materials. Now you can take 'semi-ripe' cuttings; think of semi-ripe/semi-mature wood (or stem) and that is what it refers to i.e. this year's growth so far; 'softwood' cuttings are made using very new growth and 'hardwood' cuttings are taken in the winter on one to three year-old wood.

Most cuttings I take between May and July so it's a mixture of softwood and semi-ripe material. Until recently I would have said use a good quality peat free compost maybe with some added grit. However, this spring a fellow gardener shared the virtues of using grit sand. I can’t believe how much faster and evenly the cuttings have rooted. Track down some horticultural grit sand (don't use builders sand as it's full of impurities and in some instances growth suppressants). Fill small plastic pots with the sand, don’t pat it down but keep it quite loose, giving the pots a light water. Take healthy shoots from the ends of new plant growth with a few leaves attached and insert these one at a time into the sand leaving half the cutting showing. You can put lots of cuttings in a single pot (don’t worry about them touching). Place the pots somewhere cool and light, don’t let them dry out; mist with a reused (and well-rinsed out) kitchen spray bottle. Rooting hormone doesn’t seem necessary and when the roots appear out the bottom of the pot then that’s your nod to pot them on.