The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 15 Summer 2015/2016 Low res | Page 9

Propagation

Propagating Bougainvillea with Cosmas

By Cosmas Makwangwa

Brighten up your garden by taking cuttings of the wide range of Bougainvilleas available.

Propagate in summer

Summer is a good time to take
cuttings of all types of Bougainvilleas.
Take cuttings of them from the end of
spring and up to the end of summer.

When to cut

Plan to take the cuttings in the
morning or in the late afternoon,
when it is cooler. Get your bucket of
water and clean secateurs ready!

Take semi-ripe cuttings

Take semi-ripe cuttings that are
approximately the size of a pencil,
about 15cms long. Cut the bottom of
the cutting straight under the node,
and cut the top at a slant, like a roof,
just above a node, removing all leaves.
As you cut, place them into water.

The medium

Fill a wide, shallow bag with clean,
washed sand. Press the sand down
firmly and water well.

Use rooting hormone

Dip your cuttings into the rooting
hormone, Seradix 2 or Seradix 3. Don’t
dip the whole cutting into the Seradix,
just the bottom tip.

Planting the cuttings

Make holes about 5cm deep with a
stick that is about the size of a pencil.
Push your cuttings, flat end down,
about 5cms into the holes and press
the sand firmly around and water.

Easy on the water

After planting and watering the
cuttings, they must be put under
cover in your greenhouse so you can
control the water. Bougainvilleas
don’t like too much water, so don’t
over water them. They can take about
6 to 8 weeks to root. If you propagate
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