How to Grow English Ivy From Cuttings
English ivy crawls up any support that is available, be it trees, fences, pillars and even the mailbox. The plant is also good as ground cover for areas where grass does not grow. English ivy is an all year green variety that is hardy, doesn’t need much maintenance, propagates easily and quickly sprawls to all available space. Thus, containing it in a restricted area can be an issue. Growing English ivy from stem cuttings of an existing plant is an easy way to propagate the plant.
Things Required:
– Sand
– Pots
– Stem cuttings
– Glass of water
– Scissors
Instructions
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1
Use a sharp pair of garden scissors to cut off a stem from an old English ivy plant. The stem cuttings should be around five inches. Take as many cuttings as desired. However, do remember that a single cutting will propagate extensively and can cover a large area. Clean the cuttings of any dirt or debris which can cause rotting after plantation. Leaves should be removed from the lower half of the stems which will be buried underground.
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2
Fill a glass with water and dip a stem cutting into it. Do this for the rest of the cuttings. Leave the glass for a couple of days and you will witness roots emerging out of the cuttings. This is the right time to transplant the cuttings to the ground.
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3
Take mud or plastic pots. Fill them with sand and water to dampen them. This will increases its receptivity to the cuttings. Now place the cuttings inside the pot in a way that the new roots are covered with the sand. Place the pots in a sunny location. Water the sand regularly to keep it moist but not soaked.
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4
The cuttings will develop growth and the root system will grow strong. Prepare the ground where you want them to grow. Dig holes for each of the cuttings. Scoop up the cuttings with the sand and transplant them into the prepared holes. Harden the soil around them. Do not let the soil dry out. To accelerate growth, controlled released fertilizer and liquid fertilizer can be used. However, English Ivy can propagate wildly, demanding regular trimming to keep controlled. Their propagating feature can be used to benefit in covering trellises, walls and to trail from hanging baskets.
