The broom is a bush that brightens the garden in spring and summer with its beautiful flowering, most often yellow but sometimes white, pink, red or purple depending on variety. Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), Spanish broom (Spartium junceum) or pineapple broom (Cytisus battandieri), species and varieties are numerous and brooms are generally easy to to grow, undemanding and can be used in a border, rockery or hedge. Do you love the profusion of bright, scented flowers of broom and want to prolong its life by taking cuttings ? These plants can be multiplied easily by propagation by cuttings, so discover our tips to take a broom cutting.
Why take a cutting?
Brooms are short-lived bushes, living up to around 5 to 10 years. If you want to renew your broom, taking cuttings is the solution we recommend. It allows you to reproduce an identical copy of the bush from which you take the cuttings.
When to take a broom cutting?
- Herbaceous cuttings of broom are taken in June from green shoots.
- It is also possible to take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, around July and August, even September.
How to take a broom cutting?
- Choose a healthy, vigorous branch on the broom to take the cutting. Cut a stem 10 to 15 cm long with a sharp knife or a pruning shear. Make sure the stem is not too old and has not yet started to flower.
- Remove the leaves from the lower third of the cutting, leaving a few leaves at the top to allow the cutting to produce energy.
- If you use a rooting plant hormone, dip the lower part of the stem into the hormone and shake off the excess.
- Fill a cutting pot with cutting compost or a mixture of sand compost.
- Make a hole in the compost with a stick or your finger. Place the cutting in the hole and firm the compost gently around the stem.
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 for each cutting.
- Place the cutting pots in a warm, bright spot, sheltered from direct sunlight.
- Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged, watering the cuttings regularly. It is important not to overwater, as this can cause the cutting stem to rot.
- After a few weeks roots should start to form. You can check by gently tugging the stem to see if it resists.
- Once cuttings have developed roots, you can transplant them into larger pots or directly into the garden.
By following these simple steps you can easily multiply your favourite brooms and enjoy their beauty all year round.
Materials required
- Spray bottle
- Sharp knife or pruning shear
- Cutting compost or a mixture of sand compost
- Pots or a seed tray
- Rooting activator for cuttings (optional)
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