UK propagation · RHS calendar

When to take cuttings in the UK

Softwood cutting

726 plants

Spring and early summer, from this season’s soft new growth. The RHS calls for a closed propagator at 18–24°C (64–75°F) — the step most American guides leave out, because an average unheated British room sits below the range these cuttings root in. Roots in two to four weeks.

Semi-ripe cutting

349 plants

Late summer to mid-autumn, once the base of the stem has firmed up while the tip is still soft. 10–15 cm, cut just below a leaf node, into half peat-free compost and half sharp sand. Summer cuttings seldom need bottom heat; by autumn they root noticeably faster with it.

Hardwood cutting

294 plants

The dormant season, mid-autumn to late winter, after leaf fall and avoiding hard frost. 15–30 cm, into a trench outdoors or a deep pot of 50:50 coarse grit and multi-purpose compost in a cold frame. Then you leave them alone until the following autumn. This is the technique British gardening leans on hardest — it costs nothing and needs no heated space.

Indoor cutting

4,359 plants

Any time the plant is actively growing, which in a British house means roughly April to August. Indoors the constraint is light rather than the calendar: the same cutting that roots in three weeks in June can sit for three months from a November windowsill.

Leaf or offset

981 plants

Late spring to late summer, while the light is strong enough to support a rootless cutting. Callus the cut surface somewhere dry and airy for two to five days FIRST, then keep the compost almost dry until roots appear. Damp compost around an uncallused cut is the commonest way to lose a succulent cutting in a cool, humid British autumn.

Bulb division

584 plants

Lift and divide once the foliage has died back — early summer for spring bulbs, or early autumn before the ground cools. Bulbs, corms and tubers are separated by hand, never cut. Tender types such as dahlias and cannas come up after the first frost blackens the foliage and are stored frost-free and dry until spring.

Division

3,446 plants

Early spring as growth restarts, or early autumn while the soil still holds warmth. Both windows avoid asking a freshly split plant to establish in a British midwinter.

Seed

948 plants

Late winter to late spring, under cover for anything tender. British light levels before February are the limiting factor rather than temperature — seedlings started too early stretch and weaken reaching for a window that has nothing to give them.

Why British timing is its own thing

Most propagation advice online assumes a warmer, brighter climate where a windowsill will root a cutting on its own. Two British conditions change what you should actually do. The first is warmth: the RHS specifies bottom heat of 18–24°C (64–75°F) for softwood cuttings, and an average unheated British room sits below it. The second is light — the same cutting that roots in three weeks in June can sit untouched for three months from a November windowsill.

That is also why hardwood cuttings matter more here than they do in most American guides. They ask nothing of a heated space: you take them after leaf fall, stand them in a trench or a gritty pot in a cold frame, and leave them until the following autumn.

Timing for all 11,687 plants in our library is on the individual pages above. For the general technique — which cut, which node, water or compost — see our plant propagation guides. For whether a plant will survive outdoors here at all, see RHS hardiness ratings.

Taking cuttings in the UK — FAQ

When is the best time to take cuttings in the UK?

It depends on the type of cutting, and British gardening is organised around three: softwood in spring and early summer, semi-ripe from July to September, and hardwood from mid-autumn to late winter. Softwood roots fastest but needs warmth; hardwood is the slowest and the easiest, because the cuttings sit outside all winter and root themselves.

Do I need a heated propagator?

For softwood cuttings, the RHS specifies a closed propagator with bottom heat of 18–24°C (64–75°F). Without one, a clear plastic bag somewhere warm will do — but ventilate it for ten minutes at least twice a week or the cutting rots. Semi-ripe cuttings taken in summer seldom need heat; by autumn they root faster with it. Hardwood cuttings need none at all.

What compost should I use for cuttings?

RHS propagation guidance specifies peat-free media throughout, and most British retailers now stock peat-free as standard. The ratio matters more than the brand: half peat-free potting compost to half sharp sand for semi-ripe cuttings, and 50:50 coarse grit to multi-purpose for hardwood. Cuttings rot in anything that holds water.

Why does UK timing differ from American propagation advice?

Most propagation guides online are written for warmer, brighter conditions where a windowsill will root a cutting unaided. Britain is cooler indoors and much darker in winter, which is why the RHS calls for bottom heat that American guides do not mention, and why the British year is split into three cutting types rather than one general "take cuttings in spring".

When do I pot cuttings on so they survive the winter?

For softwood cuttings, by midsummer. The RHS is explicit that cuttings potted later will not build enough root to get through a British winter — leave those where they are and pot up the following spring instead. There is no American equivalent of that cut-off, which is why it catches people out.