How to Propagate Echium

Prepare the soil in your garden bed to aid Echium propagation. Use a tiller or garden fork to work 3 inches of peat moss, 2 inches of leaf mold, and 1 inch of perlite into the soil to loosen it and improve its drainage.

Propagate Echium by seed in August to ensure prolific blooming the following year. Scatter the Echium seeds over the prepared garden bed. Rake the bed to smooth the surface and help the seeds make good contact with the soil. Irrigate the seeds with 1/2 inch of water after planting.

Propagate Echium plants by stem cuttings in the spring. Take 4- to 6-inch cuttings from a healthy and vigorous Echium. Use sharp, sterile pruning shears to make clean, 45-degree cuts back to a healthy leaf node. Dust the cut ends of the cuttings in a rooting hormone powder or liquid; insert the dusted ends into lightly moistened soil.

Propagate Echium plants by layering at any point while the plants are actively growing. Bend several of the plant's strongest stems to the ground; do this gently to avoid breaking the stem. Pin the stems to the ground at every other leaf node using paperclips bent into "U" shapes. Push the paperclips into the soil to hold the stems in place; the paperclips should hold the stems firmly to the soil without cutting into them. Keep the soil moist while the layered stems are taking root.