How to Propagate Boston Ivy
Boston Ivy is a fast-growing, deciduous creeping vine that is commonly seen covering walls at universities. This plant works well as a cover for fences and trellises, and will easily cover rocky areas and slopes. Boston ivy is a popular plant because it is easy to grow, it attracts birds, and its foliage turns lovely shades of red and purple in the fall. Boston ivy is best propagated by softwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are preferred over hardwood cuttings, as they root much quicker than the hardwood cuttings. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plant shears
- Planting container, four inches wide by four inches deep
- Sand
- Pencil
- Rooting hormone
- Clear plastic bag, gallon size
- Garden water mister
- Heating pad
Instructions
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1
Cut a 6-inch piece of new growth from the parent Boston ivy. Take the cutting during the summer growing season.
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2
Remove any flowers or flower buds from the cutting. Remove the bottom 2 inches of leaves, but leave the remaining leaves on the cutting.
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3
Prepare the planting container by filling it with 3 inches of sand. Dampen the sand.
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4
Poke a hole, using the pencil, into the sand. Insert the pencil 2 inches into the sand, and then remove.
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5
Dip the cut end of the Boston ivy cutting into a rooting hormone. Insert the cutting into the hole made by the pencil.
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6
Push the sand gently around the base of the cutting until it is secure in the sand. Gently mist the cutting and the sand.
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7
Place the planting container in the clear plastic bag, with the opening at the top. Position the bag so that it is not touching the cutting, and close the bag.
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8
Set the covered pot on top of a heating pad on low setting. Set the heating pad and pot out of direct sunlight.
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9
Open the bag and mist the cutting daily. Make sure the sand stays moist, and remove any leaves that have fallen off the cutting.
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10
Remove the plastic cover and the heating pad after the cutting has developed roots. Check for root development by giving the cutting a little tug; if there is resistance, roots have begun to form. This may take as long as 3 months.
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Water the soil as necessary to keep it moist, and mist the cutting if its leaves begin to look dry. Keep the young Boston ivy indoors, but move it to a location where it will receive indirect sunlight. The rooted cutting can be planted outside in the following spring, after the danger of frost is past.
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