How to Take Cuttings from Abelia?

The Abelia is a beautiful, floriferous shrub with decorative foliage. In summer, it becomes covered with small white or pink flowers, often fragrant. Versatile, it fits perfectly in all gardens. This shrub is very easy to propagate by taking cuttings from the stems to obtain young plants true to the "mother" variety, ready to be replanted in your garden, in flower beds, flowering hedges, or even in pots.

Discover when and how to take Abelia cuttings very easily with our illustrated tutorial!

When to take Abelia cuttings?

Propagation is done by semi-hardwood or semi-ripe cuttings in mid-summer, in July/August (when the stems begin to lignify, i.e., start turning into hard wood). This simple and quick method for propagating Abelia gives excellent results.

Required materials

To take Abelia cuttings, you will need the right equipment:

A terracotta pot
A sharp pair of secateurs, previously disinfected with 70°C alcohol, to avoid any risk of disease spread
A pencil or small stick to make holes in the substrate
Seed or cutting compost
A cloche, cold frame, or a simple transparent plastic bag
A spray bottle

How to take Abelia cuttings using the "bagging" method?

The bagging method is very easy to do and helps keep the substrate sufficiently moist during summer: the compost should never dry out completely. This technique involves covering the cuttings with a plastic bag or cloche to maintain a warm and humid atmosphere around them. Kept warm this way, the cuttings root more easily.

Prepare a pot filled with a mix of seed compost and river sand in equal parts to accommodate your cuttings
Moisten the compost

Using the secateurs, take cuttings from the "mother plant" – year-old stems that are not too tender and very vigorous, about 20-25 cm long
Cut just below a node
Remove all leaves from the lower half of the stems (about 10 cm)
Cut the remaining leaves in half to reduce evaporation
Make holes in the compost with the pencil, then insert the cuttings three-quarters deep into each hole, spacing them 10-15 cm apart
Gently firm the compost around the stems and water with the spray bottle
Cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag secured with an elastic band or place under a cloche to maintain humidity
Keep the pot in shade until autumn
Water regularly but moderately to keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged
Ventilate occasionally to prevent mould growth
In early October, once the cuttings show signs of growth, remove the plastic or cloche and place the pot in a cold frame or conservatory for winter
Water as needed but avoid excess moisture, as this encourages mould