Growing Escallonia

Taking the Clippings

• The best time to take escallonia clippings is during early autumn months. Select a section of new growth, known as a shoot, typically identifiable by its green stem color and fresh leaves. Use a pair of sharp, clean shears to cut the shoot directly below a set of leaves, straight across, about 4 inches from its tip. Remove all leaves from the shoot except a pair at the tip to prevent rotting. Dip the cut end in a rooting liquid, available at most specialty gardening stores. Take a number of cuttings twice that of the number of escallonias you would like to grow, as some might fail to take root.

Preparing the Planter

• Select a planter large enough to house all the clippings spaced 2 inches apart around the exterior. Alternatively, you can use multiple planters. Fill the planter with a 1 to 1 mixture of potting soil and sand, stopping 1 inch from the top. Pack the soil lightly with your fingers, and poke the clippings 1 inch deep in the soil around the edge of the planter. Pour water into the center of the planter, soaking the soil. Poke four tall dowel rods into the soil, and place a plastic bag over the planter to prevent moisture loss. The dowels should prevent the plastic from touching the clippings.

Growing the Escallonia Indoors

• Set the planter in a warm, sunny room. Allow the escallonia to grow indoors for six to eight months or until the last frost has passed. Keep the plants watered, ensuring the soil stays moist but not soggy. Once monthly, feed the clippings with a mixture of water and liquid fertilizer per manufacturer’s instructions. Liquid fertilizer is available from most gardening stores. Keep the escallonia covered with the plastic bag. Pluck away any clippings that die in the process.

Transferring the Escallonia Outdoors

• One month before you plan to move the escallonias outdoors, remove the plastic bag, and allow them to acclimate to drier air for one week. After the week, place them outdoors for three hours a day in the sun. This prepares them for the outside climate. Prepare an in-ground planting bed with a 1 to 1 mixture of potting soil and sand. The bed should receive at least six hours of sun a day. Dig a hole for each clipping, 3 feet apart. Use a gardening trowel or spoon to loosen the soil beneath each escallonia clipping, taking care not to break the roots. Lift them gently from their planter, and set them into the holes. Pack the soil around their base lightly, and water the area thoroughly. Add a 2-inch layer of mulch over the potting soil to insulate their roots and maintain moisture. Continue the schedule of once-month fertilizing, and never allow the soil to dry completely.