Monty Don reveals how you can get more plants for free, but you’ve got to act now
IT'S no secret that gardening can be a pretty pricey hobby to have.
But that doesn't mean you have to splurge on the same plants time and time again.
Monty Don recently revealed how gardening fans can get even more plants without spending a single penny - but you've got to act fast.
According to the pro, August is the perfect time to take cutting from your existing plants.
"As August progresses semi ripe cuttings taken from current season’s wood that has started to harden off are increasingly available and also increasingly likely to root quickly," he noted on his .
If you want to take cuttings from your own garden you should choose "healthy, strong, straight growth free from any flowers or flower buds."
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After that, get rid of any extra foliage until there's about one inch left.
"Cut the bare stem to size with a sharp knife or secateurs and bury it in a container of very gritty or sandy compost or even pure perlite," he said.
Once you've clipped the cuttings Monty suggested potting them as soon as possible.
The cuttings won't need anything fancy as they grow - just good old fashioned water and oxygen.
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That said, you'll get the best results if the soil is loose and drain easily.
Roots should then begin to form, at which point you can move the plant to better quality compost.
The growing plants should be kept somewhere warm, but avoid direct sunlight as it could scorch them.
As well as watering daily, Monty suggested misting the leaves to stop them drying out.
The cuttings will usually take four to six weeks to "produce viable roots", but you can check by lifting up the pot to look.
"At that point the cuttings can be removed from the pot and potted on individually into fresh peat-free potting compost and put aside over winter before planting out next spring," he said.
