If you have fallen in love with the pretty flowers or are interested in cultivating many more St. John's wort specimens, you can save money if you propagate the herb yourself. Read below which 3 methods have proven to be effective and how to proceed step by step!
How can you effectively multiply St. John's wort?
St. John's wort can be propagated by sowing, cuttings or root division. Moist, humus-rich soils are suitable for sowing; Cuttings should root and older perennials allow the roots to be divided. However, cuttings only bloom after 2 to 3 years.
Sowing: How does it work?
The most common way to sow this perennial is to sow it. You can tackle them in both spring and fall. It is ideal to sow the seeds directly outdoors. A pre-culture at home is also possible. The seeds are small, elongated and brown - you can get them commercially, but they can also be from your own harvest.
How to sow the seeds correctly:
- Prepare the soil or pot with sowing soil
- ideal: moist, humus-rich soils
- choose a bright, partially shaded location
- Sowing seeds
- press down or cover very thinly with soil
- keep moist
- Germination time: 2 to 3 weeks
After sowing the seeds and germinating, you can prick out or separate the young plants from a height of around 10 cm. A distance of 30 cm between the individual specimens is recommended.
Take cuttings for propagation
The cutting method is easy if you know how to do it. It should be noted that the cuttings only bloom for the first time after 2 to 3 years. For this variant, choose either soft, semi-lignified or woody shoots. The shoots should be 5 to 10 cm long.
Here are a few more tips:
- in late spring to September: obtain soft to half-ripe cuttings
- between October and December: get woody cuttings
- remove lower leaves
- Place cuttings in pots with potting soil
- keep moist
- Rooting duration: three to six weeks
Dividing the roots – how does it work?
Dividing older perennials (not St. John's wort bushes!) is also possible. Division should be carried out either in spring or autumn:
- cutting back perennials
- Dig up roots
- Exposing roots
- cut off a 5 to 8 cm long sprout with scissors
- Planting a sprout in a pot
- keep moist
- after budding: plant in a bright location
Tip
Propagation from cuttings is only possible with St. John's wort bushes.
