How to propagate aucuba?

Aucuba japonica is a magnificent bush, highly decorative thanks to its variegated and evergreen foliage. Female plants of Japanese laurel also produce attractive red berries in winter. Undemanding, this shrub is very hardy and easy to grow, as well as disease-resistant. This small tree is ideal in a hedge in partial shade or shade, alongside bushes with evergreen or deciduous foliage, or at the back of borders. To multiply this hardy shrub in the garden, simply propagate by cuttings.

Discover our advice and method to propagate Aucuba easily.

Aucuba japonica

When to take cuttings from aucuba?

The best time to take cuttings of Aucuba is around mid to late summer, between August and September. Hardwood cuttings taken in August benefit from a very sunny period and sufficient warmth to develop their root system. This method is the simplest to succeed with and results can be seen quickly.

Note that all Aucuba cultivars can be propagated by cuttings.

Equipment needed for Aucuba propagation

To make your Aucuba cuttings, you will need:

one or several pots or a tray or biodegradable buckets
a knife
pruning shear
a cloche or a mini greenhouse or a plastic bottle with the base removed or a plastic bag to make an enclosed cutting
a sprayer
seed and potting compost or a mix composed of: 1/3 general-purpose potting compost + 1/3 seed compost + 1/3 garden sand
a pencil
a rooting activator (facultative)

How to make an Aucuba cutting?

Before starting: remember to disinfect your pruning shear with alcohol to avoid transmitting diseases between plants.

1- In a pot, fill with seed compost up to 2 cm from rim, then firm the medium with your hands;

2- Fill your sprayer with rainwater and moisten the compost thoroughly;

3- Using a pencil, make one or several holes in the compost, 4 to 5 cm deep for your cuttings;

4- Select healthy, good-looking lateral shoots of Aucuba. Stems should be green and from the current year. Do not take a stem with small fruits or remove fruits before cutting;

5- Using your pruning shear, cut a stem 20 to 30 cm long;

6- From this stem, use your knife to take 5 to 6 finer, smaller shoots, keeping a heel (this means keeping part of the parent branch at the base of the cutting);

7- To reduce transpiration, remove the lower leaves from the cutting and cut the upper leaves in half. This prevents excessive stress on your Aucuba cutting;

8- You can optionally dip the base of your cutting in plant hormone for cuttings before potting;

9- Plant the cutting into the compost;

10- Firm the medium around the stem with your hands;

11- To saturate the air with moisture, place a cloche over your cutting. You can also use a clear plastic bottle with its base removed or a plastic bag held with bamboo canes. Be careful that stem and leaves do not touch cloche to avoid mould formation!

12- Keep compost cool and slightly moist, without overwatering. Renew air inside cloche by lifting it for half an hour every 3–4 days;

13- Place cutting in a bright spot, but out of direct sunlight;

14- Keep cloche in place for 3 to 4 weeks;

15- After 2 to 3 months, plan to repot plant into a larger pot;

16- During winter, bring young plants into a cold greenhouse or a bright, unheated room such as a conservatory. Space out watering.

Planting an Aucuba cutting

Plant young Aucuba shoots in ground the following early spring, in cool but well-drained soil.
At planting, feel free to enrich soil with an organic fertiliser or compost.
With their attractive foliage, Aucubas are perfect in hedges; space them 80 cm to 1 m apart.
Water regularly during first year after planting, especially during dry spells.