Things Needed
Vitex ( Vitex agnus - castus ) is a lovely deciduous tree that will spring up to superlative of 10 to 20 feet and will spread out intimately as far . The clusters of purple flower that appear in late spring are strikingly beautiful and will appeal honeybee , butterflies and hummingbirds to the landscape . Vitex , also known as chaste tree , can be propagated by direct softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer . Take several cuttings , because some cutting might not settle successfully .
Step 1
Fill a container with coarse George Sand that has been moisten in advance of clock time . Any container with at least one drain maw in the bottom will figure out .
Step 2
Test a vitex fore to be sure it ’s at the softwood level . If the stem is at the right stage , it will break in with a piece of cake when you turn it . If the bow is too young , it will bend easily but wo n’t break . If the stem is too old , it wo n’t bend at all .
Step 3
write out a 4 - column inch to 6 - in stem from a healthy vitex plant , using a piercing tongue or pruners . The cut should be made just below a solidification of leaves or bud .
Step 4
Remove provide from the lower half of the stem . Dip the bottom column inch of the stem in powdered or swimming root endocrine . habituate a pencil to make a hole in the damp sand , and plant the stem cut . It ’s beneficial to plant several cutting in the same container because the stems will share the hormones in the soil . Just be sure the stems do n’t touch .
Step 5
Place a clear fictile old bag over the container . Put the container in bright , indirect light . Avoid putting the container straight off in a cheery window , because the sun will magnify through the plastic , making it spicy enough to scorch the cutting .
Step 6
chequer the Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin daily ; mist inside the grip if the sand feels teetotal to the touch . The backbone should never be allowed to dry out , but should be kept just lightly moist . Too much moisture can do the stems to rot .
Step 7
Check for roots in about four to five hebdomad by polish off one or two cuttings from the grime with a spoonful . If the cuttings have n’t rooted , check again after another two weeks .
Step 8
Remove the shaping bag when the vitex stems have taken root . After seven to 10 twenty-four hour period , plant each thinning in a 4 - in to 6 - column inch container filled with commercial-grade potting mixture .
Step 9
Allow the vitex to get on for a few more weeks , then plant the vitex outdoors in a spot where the bush will be protected from moth-eaten winds and hot sun . After two years , plant the bush in its lasting home base .
