How do you layer a rhododendron?

Layering a rhododendron is simpler than taking cuttings. With a little practice, you’re sure to master this propagation method.

How to layer a rhododendron

Step 1: In spring, select a young shoot growing close to the ground.  

Step 2: Loosen the soil beneath the shoot, mixing in peat and rhododendron compost. 

Step 3: Directly beneath a bud, make a diagonal incision into the shoot.

Step 4: Dig a trench in the loosened earth and fill it with a little sand. Press the shoot down into the sand. 

Step 5: Peg the shoot down with a piece of bent wire. Place a stick beside it and carefully attach the shoot to the stick.  

Step 6: Water regularly, especially early on.

Step 7: Wait for around eighteen months before cutting off the shoot from the mother plant. Dig up your newly-rooted rhododendron; it is now ready to grow independently.