Step 1

1. Nick stem. In late spring or early summer, select a healthy, flexible stem and gently pull it to the ground or a pot of soil set near the parent plant. Remove the foliage from the section you want to root; then use a small, sharp knife to nick the underside of the stem in several places where it will touch the soil.

 

Step 2

2. Use rooting hormone. To bolster root formation, dust the nicks with a rooting hormone powder.

 

Step 3

3. Press in soil. Carefully lay the stem on the soil. Lightly cover the treated section of the stem with soil, leaving about 6 inches of the tip end unburied. Anchor the stem to the soil using a brick that will help preserve the soil moisture; or use 4-inch lengths of wire bent into U-shape pins. Water the soil and keep it moist until roots develop (in about six weeks). When a sufficient root system develops, cut the stem to detach it from the parent plant and transplant the new plant where you wish it to grow.

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The best Herbs for layering

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