Topic: Taking a cutting from Sage

[Moggle]

Never done a cutting before, how do I do it?

I have a plant and want to do a cutting for the mother-in-law.

[Macca]

i think you are meant to build up soil over the crown, which should produce some new roots, then you can cut them off and replant

[Kerry]

this is how i would go about it, others may have different ways....
have a well drained compost at hand, or mix in perlite with multipurpose.
choose a shoot that has grown this summer, ie. one that is not all woody and hard. i would have the cutting legnth at 4 inches or so.
i'd cut under a pair of leaves, remove bottom leaves use hormone rooting powder if you choose, and pop into the compost, round the edge of the pot. cover with plastic bag or place in propagator with some bottom heat.
if you're taking cutting from slightly older (woodier) part of plant, i think the  idea is to have a cutting with a 'heel', which means you don't cut sharply under a node or pair of leaves as you normally would, but slightly 'snap' the cutting so a little bit of the stem comes away. pot up as above.
didn't explain the heel bit very well,  :(perhaps others could do better......

[Kerry]

just 'googled'-plenty on 'heel cuttings' for piccies to explain better than me. this best on older bits, as i said above.
 :)

[cleo]

Spot on for me-I use sharp sand instead of perlite but the method is the same. Well OK I never bother with a plastic bag.

Stephan.

[Moggle]

How rude of me never to thank you peeps for replying to me.

Well I'm thanking you now, and hoping too that bringing the subject back to the top of the board will remind me to actually get off my backside and do the cutting for the Mother-in-law  :)