One of the best ways to bag yourself new plants without buying them? Work out which hardwood cuttings to take in January.
Taking cuttings is light work for the number of free plants you can grow from them, and right now, while the garden is cold and dormant, it’s the ideal time to take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs. You’ll just need to get your measurements right if you want to propagate new plants successfully (and take cuttings from the right part of the plant, of course).
Below, you’ll find a list of seven plants you can take hardwood cuttings from this month to multiply your collection (for free!).
What you'll need
My favourite pair of secateurs for woody stems. They're so comfortable to use!
Highly-rated rooting gel to help your cuttings establish roots.
Coir pots that can be planted straight into the ground, reducing root disturbance.
1. Roses
January is the ideal time to start growing roses from cuttings, because the plants are dormant at this time of the year. They make wonderful gifts for friends and family, too.
‘For roses, choose strong, pencil-thick stems from last year’s growth,’ says Josie Lewis, Perch Hill’s head gardener. ‘Make a diagonal cut above a leaf node and a straight cut just below a leaf node at the base of a 20cm length of stem.’
Once you’ve done that, Josie says you’ll need to strip away the leaves and push two-thirds of the cuttings into a sweet pea pot with gritty compost, or in a sheltered spot with a trench of sharp sand and garden soil. Some rooting powder, like Westland Organic Rooting Powder from Amazon, should boost rooting rates, too.
Anvil secateurs are better suited to cutting through thicker, woodier stems. The Wilkinson Sword Comfort Ratchet Pruner from Amazon takes the effort out of pruning (it's one of my favourite pairs!).
2. Dogwood
Cornus, or dogwood, is another brilliant option if you’re wondering what hardwood cuttings to take in January. The flame-coloured branches of varieties like Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ (which you can buy from Crocus) are striking against a dormant winter garden, and they're super winter plants for wildlife, too. You can spread the joy by multiplying your collection from cuttings.
They’re a recommendation of Josie’s, who says, ‘The cuttings come from the previous season’s ripened wood and are best taken when the plant is dormant.’
You’ll want to take 15-30cm lengths, making similar cuts to the ones you’d make on roses.
3. Forsythia
It’ll soon be time to prune forsythia, but before you do that, it’s worth taking a few cuttings.
Forsythia produces vibrant yellow blooms from early spring, but the plants are dormant right now – which is why you can take hardwood cuttings from them in January.
‘From your parent plant, select healthy-looking shoots,’ advises Emma Fell, head of horticulture at Hillier Garden Centre. ‘Cut off the soft growth at the tip of the plant.’
Forsythia tends to root fairly easily, so it's a great shrub to practice with if you're new to taking hardwood cuttings. You'll just need some small pots to start them off in, like these coir plant pots from Amazon.
4. Honeysuckle
Now, onto the climbing plants. Honeysuckle is one of my favourites, producing beautiful, sweetly scented blooms. Lonicera × heckrottii 'Gold Flame' from Crocus flowers throughout the summer months, sometimes producing red ornamental berries.
Gardeners usually take semi-ripe cuttings from honeysuckle, but you can take hardwood cuttings from deciduous honeysuckle in January, too. With a few snips and the right rooting technique, you’ll bag yourself a load of free plants for you, and gifts for friends and family.
‘Make the cut at a slight angle,’ says Emma, echoing Josie’s advice for taking rose cuttings. ‘This is partly to stop rainwater getting in, but also so you can easily remember which side was the top. The bottom of the section should be cut straight across, under a node (join).’
5. Jasmine
Learning how to grow jasmine is really worth doing if you love the scent – it’s so strong during the summer, especially during the evenings. If you’ve already got a deciduous jasmine plant, Emma says you can take hardwood cuttings from it now.
‘Most deciduous shrubs are well suited to this technique, including climbers such as jasmine,’ she says.
‘You can either plant your cuttings directly in the ground or grow them in containers. If planting directly outdoors, position the plant in a sheltered spot with well-drained soil, digging in plenty of compost or well-rotted stable manure in advance.’
I used Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure from Amazon to part-fill my raised garden bed, and my plants thrived. When it comes to planting your cuttings, you’ll want to make sure that two-thirds are below the surface of the soil.
‘The one-third above the ground should include at least one node for a single-stem plant or multiple nodes for more,’ Emma adds.
6. Currants
To get even more bang for your buck, it’s worth taking hardwood cuttings from fruiting plants in January. Currants are perfectly suited to the technique this month.
‘Many fruiting plants, including currants, root reliably from hardwood cuttings,’ says Emma.
‘Plant your cuttings 10-15cm apart from each other. You will need to keep them in place for a full year and water them well.’
Emma also recommends protecting the cuttings using a cold frame or cloche if we’re set for very cold weather over the coming months. You can buy simple bell cloches from Thompson & Morgan, or invest in a cold frame like this one from B&Q.
7. Gooseberries
Gooseberries are another fruiting bush you can take hardwood cuttings from in January, according to Perch Hill’s Josie.
‘Use clean, sharp secateurs and aim for cuttings 20-25cm long,’ Josie advises. ‘Keep them outside or in a cold frame with no heat needed. Patience is key, as roots will form slowly, often not showing until early summer.’
You’ll need to wait a few years for the plant to produce fruit, too – but you’ll be thanking yourself long-term!
With so many hardwood cuttings to take in January, there's plenty of opportunity to expand your plant collection for free.
