Emblem of the Mediterranean gardens that it adorns with its abundant and fragrant flowering during long months, the pink Laurel (Nerium oleander) is a plant easy to multiply by cuttings. A wide range of colors is available: from pure white to crimson red, through all shades of pink or the rarer and more fragile pale yellow. From cultivars with very double flowers, with a sweet almond scent, to species with yellow variegated foliage, you will be spoilt for choice!
How and when to proceed?
In spring or early summer, take a terminal branch of about 20 centimeters long from a healthy plant, free of parasites or diseases, and cut it at an angle. Then remove all the leaves from the stem, leaving only the two terminal leaves. The flowers should also be removed.
This operation called cutting can be done on a herbaceous stem or a semi-arched stem, later in the season. In the Mediterranean area, you can take advantage of the post-flowering pruning to recover the stems to be cut.
Methods of taking cuttings from the rose laurel
Two very simple methods are available to you:
Cutting in the ground is an easy method; plant the stem in a pot deep enough to bury a good half of it.
The substrate should be light, composed of equal parts of river sand and good potting soil. Place your cuttings in a warm, clear place sheltered from drying winds.
Avoid full sun until the growth is effective and never let the mixture dry too much. If you take the cutting at the end of autumn, cover it with a transparent plastic bag (like a freezer bag) that you will keep closed with a rubber band around the pot. This will keep the plant warm and moist.
You can then introduce the plant in the garden as soon as the weather is fine, when any risk of frost is eliminated. Water copiously the first three years and do not hesitate to prune drastically at the end of autumn to induce the formation of new stems as of the following spring.
Cutting in water is the easiest and most fun to do.
Simply place several stems in a bottle cut three-quarters of the way through and wait for roots to form. You will find that competition can be beneficial and that it often takes longer for a single cutting to root than several stems together. To keep the water odor-free, place a small piece of charcoal at the bottom of the bottle to prevent rotting. Remember to add water if evaporation is too strong and place your bottle in a shady area. Wait a fortnight: the roots should appear.
Once the roots are well developed (about two months) you can install the plants in individual pots. Act with care because the roots produced in water are fragile and breakable. Install them in a light substrate composed of 2/3 of good potting soil and 1/3 of river sand. Keep the plants frost-free during the winter, you will install them in the ground only in May.
