Schip laurels (pronounced Skip) are a very easy evergreen that you can propagate at home. I mentioned propagating cherry laurels a couple years ago but since it's a good time of the year to take cuttings I thought I would revisit it. It will take a couple years before a cutting turns into a plant large enough for a foundation planting in the landscape but if you're patient it's an easy way to get a few extra plants! Schip laurels are one of several varieties of cherry laurel which means that the same techniques used to propagate the Schip laurel should be applicable to the other varieties as well.
How to Root Schip Laurels (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis')
For Schip laurels I like to take greenwood cuttings in the summertime. Taking cuttings is very simple and will result in a rooted cutting in about 4-6 weeks.
- Take a 6 inch cutting with about 3-4 nodes.
- Remove all but the top two leaves.
- Dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
- Place in a container of rooting medium (here I used sand).
- Keep the medium moist and wait for rooting.
- Check in about 4 weeks to see if there are roots by giving a little tug on the cutting. If there is resistance you may have roots.
- Pot or plant the rooted cutting.
After I potted up my cuttings I placed them with some hydrangea cuttings on my front porch to acclimate to the weather.
What evergreens have you propagated?
Labels: evergreens and conifers, plant propagation
