Many houseplants and some garden plants can be reproduced from stem cuttings, a piece of stem that is removed from the parent plant and rooted to produce a new plant. The new plant will be exactly like the parent plant. Many greenhouses reproduce hundreds of types of plants from cuttings. It’s also an easy and fun way for home gardeners to reproduce plants.
Softwood cuttings are taken when the plant is growing and has leaves. These are the cuttings generally taken from houseplants all year round and herbaceous perennials in early spring. The best softwood cuttings or stem cuttings come from growth the plant put out in the last few months.
Hardwood cuttings are from woody ornamentals and a few indoor plants. They are usually taken from wood about the size of a pencil and they are taken while the plant is dormant, held in cold storage and rooted just before the parent plant would break dormancy.
Basics for all cuttings
All cuttings need at least two nodes on them. Nodes are points along a stem where a growth bud is, usually leaves are found at the nodes. Some people refer to nodes as “joints”. In some plants there are many nodes close together and in others there are fewer nodes farther apart. For each cutting there must be at least two nodes. One will form the upper part of the new plant or shoots, and the other will form the root system. You must be careful not to damage the nodes when you cut pieces off the parent plant. Longer cuttings with many nodes are not necessarily better. Cuttings longer than 4 inches may not root well.
If cuttings are from the tip of the plant or the end of a plant piece, they are called terminal cuttings. Terminal cuttings usually grow faster than other stem cuttings. The new growth will come at the end of the cutting, at the tip. If a piece of a plant is cut into several smaller pieces, one piece at the end is the terminal cutting and the other pieces are called stem cuttings. These stem cuttings will produce new growth from the side of the node.
Plant cuttings will root best if the end of the cutting inserted in the soil or water to form roots is the end which would have been closest to the main stem or roots of the parent plant. This is especially true when making hardwood cuttings. When dividing a stem into several pieces for cuttings make sure you leave a small “handle “ of stem above the top node of the section. This is generally cut on a slant. Pick up the cutting by the handle so you don’t damage the node which will become the upper parts of the plant. Beneath the bottom node of the cutting cut the stem straight across as close to the node as you can without damaging it. This part will go into the rooting medium.
When making hardwood cuttings that will be stored for a while it’s a good idea to mark the “bottoms” of the cuttings with paint or marker so you don’t forget which end is to be inserted into the rooting medium.
For rooting all cuttings the medium – or “potting soil” should be a soilless mixture or milled peat or vermiculite. Don’t use garden soil or compost. Buy a light weight potting mixture for best results.
Some houseplants will root in water. If you root them in water they may have a hard time adjusting to being planted in soil later. You can keep some plants in water indefinitely, adding a little fertilizer from time to time. But if you intend for your plants to be potted in soil it is best to start them in a solid medium.
Soft wood cuttings
Softwood cuttings can be rooted at any time. Prepare the cuttings by removing all but one or two leaves at each above ground node and all the leaves from the nodes that will be underground. If the plant has very large leaves cut the leaves in half. Dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone, which can be purchased at most garden stores. Make a hole in the moistened planting medium; do not push the cutting into the medium because this can damage the node that will make the roots. Firm the medium around the cutting.
Several cuttings can be placed in one container. Most people enclose the container in a plastic bag or place it under a glass jar to increase the humidity. Make sure that the cuttings do not touch the sides of any covering as the pieces may rot at the spot. If the enclosed area gets extremely wet remove the covering for a few hours. Place these covered containers in bright light but not in direct sunlight.
Don’t tug at cuttings to see if they have rooted. If several new leaves have developed the root system probably has too. Carefully dig up the cuttings and pot them individually. Fertilize the new plants lightly and move into sunlight if the plant requires it.
One special note- cuttings of succulents and cacti should be given a day or two for the cuts to heal and form a callus before being inserted into rooting medium.
Hardwood cuttings
Hardwood cuttings are taken after the plants have gone dormant and they are then stored in a cold- below freezing - dark place for several months. They should be kept moist- many people store them in a can of damp sand. If the cutting is from an evergreen plant, remove most of the needles from the upper part of the cutting and all the needles from the nodes that will be inserted into the rooting medium.
About 6 weeks before the parent plants would come out of dormancy, bring the cuttings into a moderately warm 40-60 degree place for a week. Prepare moistened planting medium as for softwood cuttings, make holes in the medium for the cuttings, dip in rooting hormones and insert. Keep the cuttings in a cool – below 70 degree place in indirect light. Do not enclose these cuttings in plastic or glass but keep the humidity up in the room if possible.
When you see new growth you can carefully transplant the cuttings, fertilize lightly and place gradually into brighter light.
Not all plants start well from cuttings, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Most plants are not hurt from trimming off pieces for cuttings and it even stimulates some plants to grow better. Start several cuttings if you can. If you get all of them to grow you can share them with your friends.
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