How to Transplant Pachysandra Cuttings to Starter Pots
Commonly called spurge, plants of the genus Pachysandra occur across much of Asia and parts of the eastern United States. Pachysandra terminalis, or Japanese spurge, is widely cultivated as a groundcover for its shiny evergreen leaves and low growth habit, which reaches 1 foot in height with a 1- to 2-foot spread. The main method for growing new plants is through stem cuttings, which root easily and quickly put on growth. However, successful rooting depends on taking the cutting in early summer and transplanting it into a starter pot of the appropriate size. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4-inch starter pot
- Perlite
- Coarse sand
- Pruning shears
- 0.1-percent IBA (indolebutyric acid) rooting liquid
Instructions
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Fill a 4-inch starter pot with equal measures of perlite and coarse sand. Stir the components until they are thoroughly integrated.
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Pour 1 cup of water onto the perlite and sand mixture. Let the surplus water drain away for at least five minutes before transplanting the pachysandra cutting into the starter pot.
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Gather a 3- to 5-inch-long semi-hardwood cutting from a vigorous pachysandra stem. Select one with hard bark at the base and soft green bark at the tip.
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Sever the cutting at a 45-degree angle using pruning shears. Make the cut just below a set of leaves.
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Strip off and discard the lower two sets of leaves. Dip the leafless end of the pachysandra cutting in 0.1-percent IBA rooting liquid.
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Stick the base of the pachysandra cutting into the prepared starter pot. Press it in until the bottom leaves rest on the surface of the rooting mixture.
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Set the potted pachysandra cutting under filtered light outdoors. Keep it away from direct sun during the hottest part of the day.
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Check for roots in three to five weeks. Transplant the rooted pachysandra cutting into a permanent planting site two weeks after rooting. Select a partially shaded bed with fertile, mildly acidic soil and moderate to poor drainage.
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Tips & Warnings
Pachysandra grows best within USDA hardiness zone 4.
