How to Take Lemon Verbena Cuttings
It might not be the most beautiful plant to look at, but what it loses in looks it more than makes up for it with its amazing aroma. If you want to grow a plant that reminds you of sherbet lemons every time you brush past this is the plant for you. Aloysia citrodora or Lemon Verbena has a strong lemon smell and can be used to make lemon flavoured teas, used in jams, cakes and ice cream. Lemon Verbena is not hardy (so will not tolerate the low temperatures of a UK winter) so taking cuttings is a great way of over wintering this plant and making extra plants. You can take cuttings in summer and early autumn. These cuttings were taken in September. This guide shows you how to take your own cuttings.
Step 1
These are Lemon Verbena stems that we are going to prepare and make into Lemon Verbena cuttings.
You don't want to let your cuttings wilt (this is when the cell integrity collapses due to lack of water and the leaves and stem droop). To prevent this, as you cut the pieces from the stem, either place them in a jam jar of water or put the cuttings into a plastic bag.
Step 2
Always choose the healthiest looking stems to take the cuttings from. Each cutting should be 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) long. Take the cuttings using a sharp pair of secateurs, so you get a clean cut, and make the cut just below a pair of leaves (below a leaf joint).
Step 3
Remove the lower leaves of the cutting so that only 2 or 3 pairs of leaves are remaining. You don't want to leave too much foliage as the cuttings will lose water through its leaves. They do not yet have any roots by which they can quickly replace this lost moisture.
Step 4
Fill a number of pots with compost, depending on the number of cuttings you have. Do not fill the pots right to the top, fill them up to the lower lip. This gives room to water the soil and allow the water to soak in rather than running off over the top of the pot. We have used 1 litre pots and filled them with a multi-purpose compost. You could also use a seed and cutting compost. If you have smaller pots you just put less cuttings in each one.
Step 5
Push your cuttings into the compost around the edge of the pot. Place them equidistant. We have put 4 cuttings into a 1 litre pot.
Step 6
Next give the pots a good soak with water.
Step 7
We now need to stop the compost drying out too quickly and also need to maintain a high humidity to stop the cuttings from wilting and to give them time to produce roots. This is achieved by placing a clear plastic bag over the cuttings and securing it with an elastic band around the pot. Ensure that the cuttings do not touch the side of the plastic bag or they may rot.
Place in a warm, brightly lit spot out of direct sunlight and check on the compost every few days to ensure it hasn't dried out. If it has dried out remove the plastic bag, give the pots a water and replace the bag again.
In a few weeks your cuttings should produce roots. At this point you can remove the plastic bag and place your cuttings on a windowsill to grow on.
