Gardening expert Monty Don is urging gardeners to complete one often-skipped task in August that could lead to an even better garden next summer. Taking cuttings from healthy plants now can set you ahead of time, preparing your garden for summer 2027.
Why August is the ideal time for cuttings
As the end of summer nears, August presents the perfect opportunity to take cuttings. This involves cutting a small piece of plant—whether a stem, leaf, or root—from thriving plants already in your garden. While it may seem counterintuitive, what you do with the cutting next determines how it benefits your plants' futures.
Monty explains: "As August progresses, semi-ripe cuttings taken from the current season’s wood that has started to harden off are increasingly available and also increasingly likely to root quickly."
How to take and prepare cuttings
Monty advises choosing healthy, strong growth from any flowers or flower buds and placing them in a polythene bag, ready to be potted immediately. Next, strip all flower leaves and any side shoots so that less than an inch of foliage remains. To give the cutting the best chance at growth, cut it with a sharp knife and bury it in a container filled ideally with gritty compost or even pure perlite.
He explained that to form good roots, the plant will not require any nutrition apart from the simplicities of oxygen and water. Ensure the container has space for drainage so it doesn't dry itself out. By the time roots have formed, you will see signs of growth, which is when it will require intervention with nutrition and better, healthier compost. This process takes you well into late September or October.
Aftercare and rooting timeline
The cuttings need to sit somewhere warm with plenty of light, although not in full sun, as it can scorch. Water them well and keep them moist with misting to soothe the leaves and prevent them from drying out before the roots have fully formed.
Due to this time of year, it will take roughly four to five weeks to produce viable roots straight from cuttings. You know roots have formed when you see fresh new growth or when thin roots are visible at the bottom of the pot. At that point, the cuttings can be removed, placed into fresh compost, and cast aside over the winter before replanting in the spring.
While August is the ideal time, it's best practice to take cuttings in the morning, as the plant is full of moisture. Doing it in the evening shouldn't have drastic effects on their quality.
