HOW TO TAKE BOX CUTTINGS

Box propagates very readily from cuttings and September is the perfect time to obtain hundreds of free box plants.

Choose healthy new shoots and cut just below the new growth so there is a base of harder wood. This stops them drying out too fast.

Trim each cutting just below a leaf node, using sharp secateurs or a knife so they are all the

same length, and remove at least half the leaves from the bottom of each.

Fill a plastic pot with a gritty cutting compost mix and gently insert the cuttings around the outside, between the pot and compost so that the bare stem is fully buried.

Label clearly with the date, water, and place the pots on a heated bench (if you have one) or the corner of a greenhouse or coldframe.