As we enter the December holiday season, much of our time will be spent outside in the garden with family and friends – braaing, playing garden games and swimming in the pool. So, it’s natural to want our gardens to look their best. Yet with Christmas expenses and back-to-school essentials looming, buying new plants often takes a back seat.
Head of Gardens for Brahman Hills, Abongile Majola, shares a cost-effective solution: propagation! Majola, who currently leads a team of 12 to manage an impressive 1,000 hectares of property and 26 internationally acclaimed garden rooms, says, “The wonderful thing about summer propagation is that you can create a beautiful garden using plants you already have. Nature has provided the timing – summer- ideal for semi-ripe cuttings when shoots have matured at the base but remain flexible at the tips.”
He adds that anyone can create new plants from existing ones. “You don’t have to be an expert gardener. It’s like allowing plants to create little offspring- nature does most of the work, we just need to set up the right conditions and use a little patience.”
Majola offers the following tips on how to make new plants for FREE:
1. Start with easy plants: Rosemary, lavender, and shrubby perennials propagate readily and will give you the confidence to expand your skills.
2. Timing is Key: Work in the cool hours of the early morning or late afternoon when plants are well-hydrated.
3. Technique Is Everything: A messy, crushing cut can damage plant tissue and invite disease. A clean, angled cut made with sharp scissors or secateurs just below a leaf node (those knobbly bits where leaves grow from the stem) gives your new plant cutting the best chance of developing strong roots.
4. How to Propagate
From Cuttings (Making Plant Clones):
• Select a healthy parent plant
• Cut a section of the stem about as long as your hand
• Remove the bottom leaves
• Place the cut end in a pot with soil, deep enough to stand upright
• Water lightly and then maintain a consistent level of moisture in the soil without overwatering
• Put a clear plastic bag over the cutting to keep it humid (like a mini greenhouse)
• Situate it in a bright spot but not in direct sun
• In about 4-6 weeks, give it a gentle tug – if it resists, you’ve got roots and it’s ready to be transplanted into a pot or your garden.
From Runners (Known as Stolons – Long Stems that Grow Along the Ground)
• Look for baby plants growing along stems that touch the ground, such as strawberries.
• Pin each baby down into its own pot of soil while still attached to the parent.
• Keep the soil moist and once they’ve grown roots (in about 2-3 weeks), cut them free from the parent plant and transplant as desired.
From Division (Splitting Up Big Plants)
• Select a healthy, mature plant—for example, a daylily—that is ready for division.
• Dig up carefully and separate the plant into smaller sections, ensuring each has roots and shoots.
• Replant the divisions immediately in new locations and water thoroughly.
“Always ensure you use clean gardening tools to prevent diseases,” advises Majola. “By choosing the right propagation method, regularly checking their progress and maintaining proper care and patience, you can successfully grow healthy and vibrant new plants.”
For a dose of inspiration from a world of botanical beauty and creativity, visit the award-winning gardens at Brahman Hills, nestled in the rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Whether you’re escaping the Durban heat (it’s just an hour away) or visiting from Gauteng for the holidays, these magnificent gardens provide a peaceful refuge to see propagation techniques in action—and maybe gain a few tips from their passionate gardening team.