Steps for Softwood Cuttings

1. Follow health and safety protocols.
2. Prepare personal protective equipment (PPE).
3. Choose a cutting from the plant that is 7–15cm long, without flower buds.
4. Remove the cutting from the plant, making a straight cut below the node with scissors or secateurs.
5. Ensure the cut is clean at the base of the stem.
6. Remove all the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
7. Pinch out the soft tip, or growing tip, to encourage it to produce side shoots.
8. Prepare a 1/3 mix of perlite and compost and fill your pots with the mix.
9. Create a hole of 2-4cm depth around the edge of the pot with a dibber.
10. Place the cuttings into the holes and space them so they do not touch each other.
11. Ensure leaves are at least 1cm clear of the compost.
12. Label the cuttings with the date and name.
13. Put the pot in a bright area, but not in direct sunlight.
14. Keep the growing medium moist but not waterlogged.
15. Clean the equipment and tidy up the workplace.