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| How to grow Ivy from cuttings |
Ivy is a genus of 15 species (although some in the scientific community argue that there are in fact only 12) of hardy, evergreen, climbing or ground-creeping woody plants. They are a wide ranging family native throughout Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia and as far as Japan and Taiwan.
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| Image credit - http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/ |
Luckily all ivy species and cultivated varieties propagate readily from cuttings, and usually with little provocation. The best time of year is during July and August. Using a sharp, sterilized blade, take 3-5 inch cuttings from the tips of vigorous running shoots. Make each cut directly above a leaf, and the lower cut below a leaf node. Remove the the lower two thirds leaves. Large leaf cultivars may require the remaining leaves to be cut in half to help reduce transpiration while the new roots are waiting to form. That way the risk of the cuttings drying out before they are able to root is reduced. If non-climbing, bushy growth is required then take cuttings only from adult stage growth.
Using a good quality compost such as John Innes 'Seed and Cutting'. or make own using an equal part by volume mix of moss peat and horticultural grade sand, fill to within 1/2 inch from the top your required number of 3 inch diameter pots. Place 1 cutting per pot and and gently water in. There is absolutely no need to use rooting hormone powder when propagating ivy from fresh cuttings.
Move the pots to an outside cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Once the roots have established in the pots they will be ready for planting into their final position.
Alternatively, take 6 inch cuttings from ripe shoots in October or November, removing the soft tips. The are then inserted into a prepared nursery bed of sandy soil in a sheltered position outside.
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