Since the evergreen spreads itself in suitable locations, you can sometimes easily get cuttings from gardener friends. However, the evergreen can also be propagated in the garden from a certain number of plants.
How can I propagate evergreens in the garden?
To successfully propagate evergreens, separate rooted shoots from the mother plants and plant them. Alternatively, take cuttings in late spring and let them root in the shade with consistent moisture.
The evergreen as an easy-care ground cover
Many gardeners are familiar with the problem: in shady areas under large treetops or in the shadow of a house, the lawn often grows very poorly. The relatively low-growing small periwinkle (Vinca minor) is an alternative, as it thrives well in full shade. The practical thing about this plant is that a closed carpet of plants forms relatively quickly. In contrast to lawns, this does not require regular mowing and very little maintenance. However, how quickly a closed cover of the ground cover forms depends on the planting distance and the number of shoots of the planted offshoots.
Separate rooted shoots from the mother plants
Growing from seeds doesn't really play a role in propagation, as the plants spread easily via runners in their respective location anyway. You can easily obtain numerous offshoots from an existing evergreen population by pulling isolated rooted shoots out of the ground and separating them from the mother plants with secateurs. Then plant the cuttings directly in the new location or in a pot so that the roots do not dry out.
Allow periwinkle cuttings to root
While the larger Vinca major grows too tall for some gardeners, the somewhat better winter-hardy Vinca minor remains very low. Therefore, there is actually no need for pruning with the Vinca minor varieties. However, you can easily cut the plants in late spring to rejuvenate the plants and obtain cuttings at the same time. Please note the following points:
- don't cut too deep (there must be enough shoots and branches left near the ground)
- use high-quality pruning shears (€25.00 on Amazon) for clean cuts
- Take the cuttings in full shade, otherwise they will dry out easily
- keep the substrate (preferably sandy) evenly moist
Tip
If the ground is hard, it can be very difficult to actually get rooted evergreen runners out of the ground, including the roots. Either wait for a period of rain and then the ground will be slightly softened, or resort to self-help and let cut offshoots root.
