Learn Three Ways to Propagate Spirea Bushes

Propagate with Softwood Cuttings

Take softwood cuttings in mid to late summer and root as follows:

1. Cut stems 10 to 12 inches long, choosing ones that are flexible enough to bend, but break with a snap.
2. Trim the top 4 to 6 inches from the stem tip and remove bottom leaves.
3. Dip the cut end into powdered rooting hormone, then shake off excess powder.
4. Fill a six-inch pot with a moist potting mixture, ensuring pots have adequate drainage.
5. Plant four or five stems around the inner edge or each pot then cover with a plastic bag and seal the bag to retain moisture.
6. Place in a dappled shade location and allow to root, checking weekly to ensure the soil stays moist.
7. After approximately four weeks, rooting is indicated by healthy new foliage.
8. Repot into individual containers for winter, tuck pots into a sheltered spot, and plant out in spring.

Propagate with Hardwood Cuttings

Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter when plants are dormant using mature stems.

The ideal time for hardwood cuttings is just after leaf drop in autumn or just before bud burst in late winter, providing severe frosts are avoided.

1. Cut mature stems 10 to 12 inches long, taking several cuttings.
2. Trim the stem top just above a leaf node, cutting on an angle to remember which end is up.
3. Trim the bottom straight across, just below a leaf node.
4. Dig holes in the ground about 4 to 6 inches deep.
5. Place cuttings in the hole, angled end up, then fill in the hole with soil and firm in place.
6. Water well and keep soil moist.
7. After cuttings show healthy new growth in spring they can be planted into pots or a permanent location.

Propagate via Ground Layering

Another method of propagation is ground layering.

Simple and effective, the stem remains attached to the mother plant while new roots develop. But be sure to choose stems long and flexible enough to bend and lay on the ground.

The best time for layering is mid-spring when plants are bursting with energy and growth.

1. Choose a shoot on the outside edge of the plant.
2. Remove the leaves from the section to be covered, and gently scrape away the outer bark in a few spots. Keep the rooting section small, 3 to 4 inches, to concentrate new roots in a controlled manner.
3. Create a small trench in the soil directly below the shoot, about 1 inch deep and 3 inches long.
4. Gently bend the shoot over, laying the stem in the trench.
5. Using landscape or tent pins (or a bent section of a cut clothes hanger), firmly pin the scraped section to the ground, ensuring good contact is made.
6. Cover the pinned section with soil and firm in place.
7. Water gently and keep the soil moist.
8. After new roots have formed, usually in 6 to 8 weeks, sever the stem from the mother plant and transplant to its new home.

If you have any questions about multiplying this rewarding shrub, drop us a line in the comments below.

And for more tips and tricks, be sure to read our other spirea guides to include:

• How to Grow and Care for Birchleaf Spirea Shrubs
• How and When to Prune Spirea Shrubs
• How to Grow and Care for Japanese Spirea