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    Home » Gardening

    Plant Propagation Woody Plants Made Easy with Layering

    by Patti Estep · Aug 6, 2023

    Lavender shrub with rock holding a stem over an image showing new lavender roots.

    Learn about propagating woody plants in your backyard to produce more of your favorite plants for free with very little work.

    Spirea layering plants - propagate woody plants

    I found this trick out by accident. I planted a Hydrangea paniculata in the back of my house. The next season I noticed that one of the lower branches that lay on the ground had rooted. I cut it from the original plant and now a few years later I have a five-foot tall blooming shrub in the front of my house just like the one in the back.

    I realized that this was a technique called "layering," which I have heard of but never actually tried. As you can see, it has to be one of the easiest ways to propagate woody plants. 

    What is Layering?

    Layering is the process of taking stems from plants that are low to the ground and covering some of it with soil to allow roots to grow and establish. At that point, you can cut it from the mother plant and place it elsewhere in the garden.

    Easy Layering Plant Propation - Spirea

    Woody Plant Propagation with Simple Layering

    Our Spirea shrub has naturally layered itself and developed a new root system.

    You can see here where it naturally broke off from the original shrub.

     Spirea Divisions

    It was a little too close to the edge so I dug it up and I ended up with four plants to place somewhere else in the garden or give away.

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    Spirea shrub in bloom

    This is a lovely shrub, in fact, it is one of my 5 Must Have Shrubs post because it's easy to grow, gives a long beautiful bloom time, and is practically maintenance free.

    propagate woody plants for lavender

    How to Propagate Plants Through Layering Method

    • Take a branch that is low to the ground.
    • Pull off the leaves in the middle.
    • Then scrape the underside with your pruner or a knife.
    • Dig up some of the soil below and bury the middle section.
    • Add a little soil on top and a rock.
    • Some places will also suggest adding a little rooting hormone to the wound or scraped area, but I haven't bothered.
    Lavender Roots

    Check back after a few weeks and check on the branch. You should start to see little roots forming.

    Easy Layering Plant Propation - Lavender Potted Up

    After a few weeks when you have a nice set of roots, you can cut the branch from the mother plant and pot it in its own pot or plant it somewhere in the garden.

    Spirea In Pots Pruned

    One final step. Once potted or replanted make sure to cut back some of the top foliage to encourage more root growth.

    How easy is that.?

    Patti signature

    More Gardening Tips

    • 7 Gardening Rules of Thumb For New Plants
    • 10 Easy Summer Gardening Tips
    • 10 Gardening Hacks
    Stones holding down a branch to grow roots.
    « Make Tasty Zucchini Bites in Under an Hour
    How to Make Wine Glass Charms »

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria Ema Custodio

      July 26, 2016 at 6:40 pm

      Tenho algumas sementes de orquídeas raras ( cara de macaco, anjo, tigre, pato etc) tenho também sementes de rosas raras. Gostaria de saber como devo fazer a sementeira para ter bonitas flores. A minha maior dificuldade é que não tenho terreno para o fazer, tem que ser dentro de casa. Por favor diga-me. Oobrigado

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        July 27, 2016 at 7:02 am

        In my experience it is very hard to grow many plants from seed. Especially some of the ones you have mentioned. Also growing many plants indoors is also a challenge unless you have lots of bright light. It's always fun to experiment and give it a try.
        Best of luck to you,
        Patti

        Reply

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