Grow Dusty Miller From Seeds and Cuttings: Dusty Miller Propagation

In this article, I will show you how to grow Dusty Miller from seeds, cuttings and root division to multiply these beautiful plants in your garden, as I have done in Sydney, Australia. Propagating Dusty Miller Silver Dust is an excellent way to multiply this beautiful plant. You can reproduce and grow dusty miller from cuttings or seeds and share the plant with friends and family.

Growing Dusty Miller From Cuttings

Dusty Miller Plant, Silver Dust Plant

When to Propagate: Selecting the Right Time

The best time to take stem cuttings for dusty miller propagation is in late spring to early summer when the plant is actively growing. Choose healthy, non-flowering stems for the success.

Prepare the Cutting

Using clean, sharp pruning shears, take 4-6 inch dusty miller stem cuttings just below a leaf node. Remove any leaves from the lower part of the stem, leaving only a few at the top to encourage growth.

Rooting Medium

Plant the cuttings in a well-draining rooting medium, such as seed-starting mix or a mixture of perlite or river sand and potting soil.

Planting Dusty Miller Cuttings

Prepared Dusty Miller Cuttings

1. Take a small pot having holes at its bottom to drain excess water. Fill the pot with the rooting soil and water until the water drains. keep the pot in shade for some time to drain excess water.
2. Insert the prepared cuttings about 1-2 inches deep into the rooting medium. Before planting the cutting, you may apply some rooting hormone at the cut end to promote roots, but this is not essential.
3. You may plant more than one cutting in the same pot. Space them 2-3 inches apart to allow for air circulation.
4. Do not water again. Enclose the pot in a polythene bag or cover it with a clear plastic plastic wrap to create a humid environment. Place the pot in a warm location with bright, indirect sunlight.
5. Ensure that the cuttings remain in warm in high humid environment. For this, occasionally open the bag and mist the cuttings.
6. Root Development: Dusty Miller cuttings typically root within 2-4 weeks. To check for roots, gently tug on the cuttings, if they resist, it is a sign that they have grown roots.

Flowers on Dusty Miller Plant Grown from a cutting

Growing Dusty Miller in Water

Can you root dusty miller cuttings in water? The answer is yes, you can easily root dusty miller cuttings in water.

1. Just prepare the cutting as mentioned above and put them in a glass of water, the cutting end about 1 inch in water.
2. Place in a warm and bright location away from direct sun light. the cuttings will taker roots in about 15-20 days.
3. Change the water in 3-4 days.
4. Transplanting: When the cuttings have developed strong roots, transplant them into individual pots filled with well-draining soil.
5. Place the pots in full sun and continue caring for them as you would for mature Dusty Miller plants.

Dusty Miller Cutting Rooted in Water

Grow Dusty Miller From Seeds

To propagation dusty miller from seeds, you may start sowing seeds indoors about ten weeks before the last frost is expected in your area. This will help you keep seedlings ready by the time when the outside temperature is around 20-24°C (68-75°F ).

1. The first thing is to get dusty miller seeds. You can buy the seeds from a garden shop or harvest seeds from flowers at the end of the summer season and save them in an air-tight container to grow them in the  next spring.
2. To harvest the seeds from the dusty miller plants, you should wait for the seeds to dry out on the plants.
3. The dusty miller seeds are very tiny and look like dust.
4. Direct seeding is not recommended to grow dusty miller from seeds. They need to be first germinated in small pots, and then transfer to the larger pots.
5. Fill a small pot with seed raising potting soil and spread the seeds on it. Spray water and cover the pot with a transparent plastic sheet. Do not cover seed as light is required for germination. Mist lightly to keep the soil moist.
6. Place the pot in a bright location with 20-24°C temperatures. Bright location is essential for seed germination.
7. The seeds may germinate in about 10-15 days.
8. Transplant the seedlings into larger pots when the 2-3 sets of leaves appear.

Growing Dusty Miller By Root Division

Root division or splitting is another effective method for propagating Dusty Miller is by division. This method is suitable for well-established plants.

1. Divide your Dusty Miller plants in early spring or early autumn.
2. Carefully dig up the Dusty Miller plant from ground or take it out from kits container.
3. Using a sharp knife or cutter, cut the root ball into sections, ensuring that each section has both roots and foliage.
4. Immediately replant the divided sections into individual containers or in ground.
5. Water the new thoroughly to settle the soil and reduce transplant shock.
6. Apply a layer of mulch on the soil to retain water.

Dusty Miller in Containers