How to take plant cuttings (2024)

FAQs

How to take plant cuttings? ›

At its most simple, all you do is cut a length of plant stem, remove the lower leaves, and put it in a pot of compost.

In a pot of damp, but drained, rooting mix, make a hole for the cutting using a pencil. Put the cutting in the hole and firm the rooting mix around it. If any leaves are touching the surface of the mix, trim them back. Several cuttings can be placed in the same pot as long as their leaves do not touch.

Nearly every plant can be successfully propagated using cuttings, though the exact method will differ from species to species. Some plants are most successfully grown from leaf cuttings, while others do best when grown from roots or hardwood.

Can you put cuttings straight into soil? You can put a cutting into a fresh pot of soil or try rooting them in water, but it's often best to put the cutting straight into soil.

All cuttings need to go directly to an environment with 100% humidity after being cut. If the cuttings dry out, they will not do well. Keep them dark, cool and moist. If you are working in large areas, use wet cheesecloth or burlap to wrap the cuttings as you go along.

Using a sharp knife (or pruners) cut just below where a leaf attaches to the stem (the node). Roots grow easiest from this location. If you leave a section of stem below the node, it often rots. Remove the lower leaves but leave the top two or three.

Propagation for many plants is best done in potting soil, but some plants can be propagated in water. This is because they have evolved in an environment that allows it. Most Aroid plants can be propagated in water, including pothos plants, philodendrons, monsteras, and ZZ plants.

If you buy a plant, it's easy to think that it's yours to propagate. Many times, it is perfectly fine to take cuttings and create baby plants from purchased plants. That being said, you cannot propagate patented plants without the inventor's permission. Violating plant patents is against the law and a form of stealing.

Some plants like papaya, marigold, chilli, capsicum, tomato, etc., cannot be propagated by asexual method. It is the only means of creating genetic diversity of plants.

Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up. This plant has heavy rooting and is ready to be moved to a pot with potting soil.

Can I cut a branch and plant it? ›

Large, established tree branches won't grow roots, but if you find a young tree branch that's less than about a year old, you've got a shot. Put it in water or soil as soon as possible for best results. You'll know the branch is viable if it's about the thickness of a pencil and has some leaves or needles.

Cuttings are very delicate and vulnerable so pests, disease, the wrong growing conditions, too much water or too little water can all cause them to fail. Therefore it is vital that the plants you take your cuttings from are healthy, pest-free and growing strongly.

They'll root faster with plenty of sunlight, but avoid setting them in direct sun. Temperature is also important, the warmer the better to speed things up. For cuttings that are more valuable or difficult, adding a little aquarium pump to oxygenate the water will help a lot. Roots need the extra oxygen to grow well.

You can propagate with seeds or roots, but the easiest and most common method is by cutting, or transferring a piece of a mature plant into water or soil and letting it grow a new root system.

To make the actual cutting, you will need a good pair of shears. Pruning shears are especially designed for making cuttings. The Edward Pruning Shears are super easy to use and are smaller than regular shears.

Use a chopstick or a pencil to poke a planting hole in the damp soilless medium. We recommend poking a hole 1 to 2 inches deep to keep the stem cutting sturdy.

Several cuttings may be placed together in one container. Be sure to add fresh water as needed until the cuttings are fully rooted. Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up.

If you are propagating in soil, dip the cutting in a rooting hormone and then insert at least two-thirds of the plant into fresh potting soil. Make sure the stem is pointing out of the soil in the direction of growing. Provide indirect light and keep moist.

They'll root faster with plenty of sunlight, but avoid setting them in direct sun. Temperature is also important, the warmer the better to speed things up. For cuttings that are more valuable or difficult, adding a little aquarium pump to oxygenate the water will help a lot. Roots need the extra oxygen to grow well.

Put your cutting down the side of the pot, all the way to just below those retained leaves at the top. It can help to poke a hole first with a pencil. Put several cuttings to one pot to give yourself more chances of success. Firm your cuttings in.