I love freebies don't you?
I bought a Virginia Creeper in the spring and planted it against an ugly wall to hide the grey rendering. It has shot away and although I planted it quite late in the spring the job is about 40% done.
Some of the side shoots have crept along the ground rather than clung to the wall and rather than snip them off with secateurs I wanted to make the most of them and take some cuttings.
I have left the stem attached to the host so that it can continue to live - follow the advice below to get a garden centre size plant by next spring and save a few bob.
Select a runner that is 12-36 inches long.
Cut any side shoots off.
Remove the leaves on the lower two thirds of the runner but make sure the node is left intact - The node is where new roots will sprout.
Thread the top of the runner through one of the holes in the bottom of a 2 litre pot and pull so that the pot is as low as you can get it.
You can pepper the stem that will be in the soil with hormone compound at this stage but I rarely bother.
Fill around the stem with compost and try to position the stem in the centre of the pot giving the plant every chance to throw out new roots all the way round.
Now water the compost thoroughly.
Yo may also want to insert a cane into the pot and tie it up.
Now just wait until next spring and when you are certain that there are enough new roots to make the plant independent and self sufficient you can cut away the umbilical shoot that attaches it to the host and voilà you have a new Virginia Creeper.
This method is possible with most of your climbers and is a variation of layer that I explained in the post Layering shrubs cuttings for easy reproduction.
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