Purple bells are popular and easy-care foliage perennials. In addition to their often colorful leaves, they impress with their delicate, bell-shaped flowers. Read below how you can propagate these plants!
How to propagate purple bells?
Purple bells can be propagated by dividing the perennial, cuttings or sowing. Division is particularly recommended as it also helps to rejuvenate the plant. Cuttings root in potting soil, while seeds are sown in pots or bowls.
Tackling the division of the perennial plant
The easiest way is to divide an older plant. You can do this either after the flowering period in summer, in autumn or in spring.
Lift, divide and plant
The purple bell is lifted out of the ground with a digging fork. Then roughly remove the soil with your hands. You can now divide the plant into equal parts using a spade or a large knife. Then just plant it in a new location – done!
Use cuttings for propagation
Another option for propagation is cuttings. They can be cut in spring. When the plant is pruned, suitable shoots are often produced for propagation by cuttings. These should be head cuttings. If they are between 10 and 15 cm long and mature, that's perfect!
Start with this:
- remove lower leaves
- put in potting soil
- Moisten the substrate
- cover with a hood (e.g. plastic bag)
- place in a bright location
- ventilate daily and check humidity
- Rooting time: about 6 weeks
Sowing also works
Rarely, gardeners propagate the purple bell using seeds. This is how it works:
- prefer to stay at home in February
- Fill pot or bowl with sowing soil
- Cover seeds lightly with soil
- keep moist
- place in a bright place
- Germination time: approx. 3 weeks
- plant from a size of 15 cm
Place the young plants in the right location
But after pulling forward, the planting comes to a location that is conducive to the purple bell. Whether in beds, borders, slopes or other places, the purple bell prefers to grow in a sunny to semi-shady location. The soil for this hardy plant should be nutrient-rich and permeable.
Tip
Dividing the purple bell is particularly recommended. This means you kill two birds with one stone: In addition to propagation, it also serves to rejuvenate the plant (useful every 3 to 4 years).
