Anyone who has fallen in love with the pretty flowers or is keen to cultivate many more specimens of St. John's wort can save money by propagating the herb themselves. Read below which 3 methods have proven themselves and how to proceed step by step!
Except in frost, cuttings can be cut almost all year round
Sowing: how does it work?
The most common is the sowing of this perennial. You can tackle them in both spring and fall. Sowing the seeds directly outdoors is ideal. Preculture at home is also possible. The seeds are small, oblong and brown - you can get them commercially, but you can also harvest them yourself.
How to sow the seeds correctly:
- Prepare the soil or pot with seed compost
- ideal: moist, humus-rich soil
- choose a bright, semi-shady 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 growth height of about 10 cm. A distance of 30 cm between the individual specimens is recommended.
Take cuttings to propagate
The cuttings method is easy once you know how. It should be noted that the cuttings only flower for the first time after 2 to 3 years. Choose either soft, semi-lignified or woody shoots for this variant. The shoots should be 5 to 10 cm long.
Here are a few more hints:
- in late spring to September: take soft to half-ripe cuttings
- between October and December: get woody cuttings
- remove lower leaves
- Put the cuttings in pots with potting soil
- keep moist
- Rooting time: three to six weeks
Division of the roots - how does it work?
With older perennials (not with St. John's wort bushes!) a division is also possible. The division should be carried out either in spring or in autumn:
- Cut back perennials
- dig up roots
- expose roots
- cut off a shoot 5 to 8 cm long with scissors
- Plant sprout in pot
- keep moist
- after budding: plant in a bright location
tips
Propagation by cuttings is only possible with St. John's wort bushes.