Monty Don shares how to cut topiary and hedges on Gardeners’ World
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In the latest episode of Gardeners’ World, Monty Don demonstrated how to plant Mahonia to avoid drowning the small tree, which is a common problem with this striking plant. However, the most important tip he shared with gardeners was to rescue non-hardy salvia flowers from the cold. He said that while the plant is “one of the most beautiful” to bloom in the garden at this time of year, it won’t easily survive the winter in some soil types.
Monty Don had multiple varieties of salvias growing in his garden with an array of bright colours to enjoy.
While the tall stems topped with purple and vermillion flowers are known to bloom until near Christmas, the Gardeners’ World host noted that they “are not truly hardy”.
He revealed that certain soil types, including the heavy soil in his own garden, are unsuitable for these delicate plants when the winter weather arrives.
He said: “If you’ve got good drainage you can leave this outside and it will overwinter and it will be fine. Maybe mulch it.
“However, if like me you’ve got heavy soil, then you have to either dig them all up and take them into a frost-free shed or greenhouse. Or – and perhaps and – take cuttings, so you’ve got new plants coming through.
“Salvias take well from cuttings. What you need to look for is a nice strong stem, that doesn’t have a flower.”
Demonstrating the cutting process on his Salvia Fulgens which were hard to miss thanks to their bright vermillion blooms, Monty Don shared a clever tip to get the best results from your cuttings.
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The gardening expert recommended looking for healthy side shoots on the plant for the best chances of growing new salvias.
Monty Don noted that while most cuttings are taken using tools such as secateurs, it is better to “peel them off” the parent plant in this case.
Although salvia cuttings take very well, they are prone to drying out. For this reason, Monty said it is best to always use a polythene bag to “slow down that drying-off process”.
He added: “Now, as with all cuttings, speed is of the essence.”
With that in mind, the Gardeners’ World host headed straight over to his outdoor gardening space to get started on preparing the fresh cuttings one at a time.
He started by cleaning off the bottom of the green stems using a small knife to cut just below a node.
Monty proceeded to take off the lower leaves, leaving just a few at the top of the green stem.
In a small container filled with equal amounts of perlite and normal compost mix, he made a small hole to hold the cutting.
While working on the rest of the cuttings, he revealed that now is actually “not the best time” to propagate salvias.
He said: “This is an insurance policy, just in case you lose the parent plant.
“The best time is either in spring or again in about June, July, when you’ve got really vigorous growth and not so many flower buds.”
After labelling his cuttings, Monty noted the importance of watering the potting medium and keeping it moist using the same polythene bags which stored the cuttings.
The Gardeners’ World host demonstrated that this is easy to do by simply placing them over the top of the pot and sealing it tight to keep the moisture in.
To help the cuttings take quickly, Monty recommended placing the pots by a radiator or on a heated mat.
Gardeners’ World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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