Cutting plants down might sound like a bad idea, but it’s actually a good way to get more plants. Gardeners have been using this trick for hundreds of years to make copies of their favorite flowers, herbs, and houseplants. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors and some knowledge.
Why Cutting Plants Works for Propagation
It doesn’t make sense to cut off pieces of a plant and root them. Why would that hurt or kill the plant? Many plants can grow back from cuttings, which is pretty amazing. If you take off a stem, leaf, or even just a few cells and put them in water or soil, they can grow new roots and become a whole new plant.
This works because many plant cells are totipotent, meaning they have the genetic material and ability to divide and differentiate into all the tissue types needed to create an entire plant. So when you take a cutting, those totipotent cells allow the severed piece to essentially clone itself. As long as the cutting contains nodes where leaves and buds attach, it can form roots and grow.
What Plants Can Be Propagated from Cuttings
Lots of popular houseplants are great candidates for propagation by cuttings, including
- Succulents like echeveria, jade plants, and burro’s tail
- Vining plants like pothos, philodendron, and monstera
- Herbs like mint, basil, oregano, and rosemary
- Flowers like geraniums, chrysanthemums, and begonias
Woody shrubs and trees like hydrangea, viburnum, forsythia, and figs can also be propagated by cuttings. Even vegetables like tomatoes and peppers can be cloned by snipping off suckers and replanting them.
Generally, quick-growing annuals and perennials with soft stems or fleshy leaves root the quickest from cuttings. Slower-growing trees and shrubs take more time and care.
How to Take and Root Plant Cuttings
It’s easy to take cuttings from plants, but it takes some skill to get them to root. Follow these basic steps:
Select a Healthy “Mother Plant”
Pick a strong, well-established plant that doesn’t have any pests or diseases. Take cuttings from new growth that’s healthy and non-flowering.
Use Sterilized Tools
Clean your pruning shears, scissors, or knife with isopropyl alcohol to prevent spreading disease between plants.
Make a Proper Cut
Make a clean cut just below a node using a 45 degree angle cut. This exposes more surface area for rooting.
Apply Rooting Hormone (Optional)
Dipping the cut end in rooting powder containing auxin hormones can encourage faster root growth, especially for woody stems.
Plant in Media
Stick the cutting in sterile potting mix, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or water. Make sure the node is buried in the rooting medium.
Maintain Humidity
Covering cuttings with plastic bags or domes keeps the environment humid while roots form. Mist occasionally if needed.
Give Bright, Indirect Light
Avoid direct sun until the cutting is rooted, as it can scorch tender new growth. Bright shade encourages rooting.
Be Patient
It can take weeks or months for roots to form depending on the plant. Don’t disturb cuttings until you see new growth.
Rooting Plants in Water
An easy way to propagate plants by cuttings is to root them directly in water. All you need is a vessel with water, like a mason jar, and a cutting with at least one node submerged. Change the water every few days to prevent rot. Once roots a few inches long appear, pot up the plant in soil.
Water rooting has high success rates for plants like pothos, philodendrons, basil, coleus, roses, and pelargoniums. The clear jar lets you easily monitor root development. However, soil rooting is better long-term for established plants.
Tips for Rooting Plant Cuttings Successfully
Propagating plants from cuttings takes practice. Follow these tips to improve your chances of success:
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Take cuttings first thing in the morning when the plant is hydrated.
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Use a sharp, sterile knife or shears for clean cuts. Tearing stems by hand can damage them.
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Cut just below a node so the cutting has a place to form roots.
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Leave 2-6 nodes on the cutting if possible. More growing points means more roots.
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Grow the mother plant well before taking cuttings. A healthy plant yields the best cuttings.
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Change the water every 2-3 days for water rooting. Stagnant water breeds bacteria.
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Keep soil moist, not soggy, for potted cuttings. Too much moisture invites diseases.
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Pinch off any flowers or buds that form on cuttings so the plant focuses energy on rooting.
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Acclimate plantlets gradually to lower humidity and more sun before transplanting.
Enjoy Endless Plants Through Propagation
Learning to propagate houseplants and garden plants through cuttings allows you to turn one plant into many for free. It’s a fun project for plant lovers and a great way to share prized plants with friends.
Experiment with taking cuttings from your different plants. Many will surprise you with their ability to generate whole new root systems when snipped into pieces. Just be sure to use sterile practices, give them proper care, and be patient. The waiting pays off when you end up with more potted plants to enjoy!
How to Make Hardwood Cuttings
Take hardwood cuttings in winter or early spring. Deciduous plants (those that lose their leaves every winter) have no leaves at this time. Thus, water loss is not a serious problems with these cuttings, unless the buds open. Hardwood cuttings are more difficult to root than softwood cuttings, and it may take two to four months for roots to form. The technique does work well with some shrubs such as forsythia, privet, and willow. Needled evergreens can also be propagated using hardwood cuttings, but care must be taken to reduce water loss.
How to Make Herbaceous and Softwood Stem Cuttings
Stem cuttings can be used to grow new houseplants, annuals, perennials, and woody plants. The stems should be soft and the plants should be growing.
- Cut off a piece of stem, 2-6 inches long. The cutting should have at least three sets of leaves. To trim the cutting, make a cut just below a node at the bottom. A node is where a leaf or bud joins the stem (Figure 1). Beginning at the bottom of the cutting, cut off half to two thirds of the leaves. Cut large leaves in half (Figure 2). Remove all flowers, flower buds, and fruit. If you want to, you can dip the bottom inch of the cutting in rooting hormone.
- Make a hole for the cutting with a pencil in a pot of rooting mix that is damp but not soaked. Place the cutting in the hole and pack down the rooting mix around it. Cutting back any leaves that touch the mix’s surface You can put more than one cutting in the same pot as long as the leaves don’t touch.
- Take a plastic bag and put it around the pot. Make sure the bag doesn’t touch the leaves.
- Put the pot somewhere warm and bright, but not in direct sunlight. Check the rooting mix every few days to make sure it’s still wet and water it as needed. Throw away any water that gathers at the bag’s base.
- Once every two or three weeks, gently lift your hand off of the cutting to see if roots have grown (Figure 3). Wet the cutting back into the mix, put it back in the bag, and check again in one to two weeks to see if roots have formed. If they haven’t or are very small,
- To lower the humidity around the plant slowly once roots have grown, untie the plastic bag and then open it a little more each day. When it’s doing well without the plastic bag, put it in a pot with good potting mix and move it to where it will stay.
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