How to Grow Mountain Laurel Shrubs From Cuttings

Mountain laurels, also known by their botanical name of Kalmia latifolia, are evergreen perennial shrubs native to the eastern United States. Mountain laurels have a rounded profile with attractive green foliage, and can reach heights of 25 to 40 feet. Often confused with rhododendrons, they produce showy pinkish-white blooms in the spring and early summer, and are often found in ornamental gardens and landscape plantings. They can be propagated successfully from stem cuttings, although the survival rate is low.

Cuttings
Rooting medium
Rooting powder
Sharp knife
Pruning shears
Appropriately sized pots
Clear plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Select the proper season for taking stem cuttings. Mountain laurel cuttings are best taken in winter. Select a young, healthy plant, free from disease or environmental stress.
- 2
  Use a pre-packaged, sterile rooting medium composed of sand, peat, perlite or fine gravel. Ensure the container used for rooting is clean and well-draining. A small flowerpot works well for laurel cuttings.
- 3
  Remove a shoot 4 to 10 inches in length, with several leaves attached.
- 4
  Use tip or heel cutting techniques to remove the shoot. Tip cuttings are removed from the tips of stems less than one year old. They can be taken from the central stem or healthy side shoots. Heel cuttings are taken from side shoots on stems two or more years old. To take a heel cutting, grasp the shoot by the tip and pull it firmly away from the main stem, leaving a heel of older tissue attached at the base.
- 5
  Remove any leaves attached to the bottom 2 inches of the cutting, to avoid rot.
- 6
  Wound the cutting to stimulate root development. Use a sharp knife to make a shallow incision 1 to 2 inches long on the base of the cutting.
- 7
  Dip the base of the cutting in rooting powder. Several formulations are commercially available.
- 8
  Dig a small hole in the rooting medium, approximately the same diameter as the cutting, to avoid dislodging the rooting powder.
- 9
  Insert the cutting into the hole, firm the medium around the base, and water well to settle the media around the cutting.
- 10
  Create a makeshift propagation chamber by placing a clear plastic bag over the pot containing the rooted cutting.
- 11
  Place the cutting in a warm, well-lit place out of direct sunlight. Inspect daily, and remove any dead or dying tissue.
- 12
  Provide sufficient water to keep the rooting medium moist, but not wet. Maintain a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 13
  Repot cuttings into a 4-inch-diameter container after two to three months have passed. Use a high-quality potting soil.
- 14
  Expose the cuttings to outdoor conditions gradually. Place them outdoors, out of direct sunlight, for increasingly long periods over several weeks.

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