How to grow new plants from cuttings.
 (Read 100+ times)
By Marina Shemesh
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I have always thought that growing new plants from cuttings is only done by the real professionals. Then my next door neighbor handed me a piece of geranium over the fence and told me to just stick it in the ground. The cutting started to sprout leaves within weeks and I started to experiment.
The experts advice to make cuttings in autumn. The milder weather will not dry out the cuttings. By spring your cutting will have turned into a plant and you can replant it. I have grown plants from cuttings in spring, but I made sure that the cuttings were planted in a shady part of the garden.
Take a cutting about six to eight inches long. It should be about the thickness of a pen from a new growth part of the plant. The cutting should be taken at a 45 degree angle with sharp scissors above a joint. Place the cutting immediately in water to prevent dehydration.
Remove most of the leaves except for a few from the top. Now dip the end of the cutting into some growth hormone. It comes in powder form and you can buy it from nurseries. Shake of any extra powder and plant the cutting. I have grown a lot of my cuttings without the growth hormone. It is no a must but your success rates are higher with it.
Make a hole in the soil and firm the earth very gently around the cutting. Your soil should be sandy. Do not plant any cuttings in clayish soil, it will just rot your cuttings. The cutting must be planted where they will receive indirect sunlight.
Some people prefer to plants the cuttings in pots. If you live in a colder climate I'd advice you to do so too. The winter can be too cold for the cuttings to survive outside.
Cover your cuttings with clear plastic or the bottom end of a plastic bottle. The condensation inside the plastic bag will generate moisture, but it may not be enough. Check the cuttings every day to see if they are moist. Without roots they cannot "look" for moisture so you will have to provide it to them. Careful of over watering that can rot the cutting.
The hardest part is to be patient. You will have to give your cuttings enough time to grow new strong roots. When new leaves appear, you will know that the cutting have turned into a new plant. Be gentle with your new plants. Don't move them until they have grown big and strong.
You can try and grow new plants from cuttings of geraniums, philodendrons, wisteria, clematis and roses to name only a few. You need to experiment and have patience, just like anything else to do with gardening. Let the plants teach you.
For those that are a bit apprehensive or doubting their abilities, start with a piece of geranium like I did. You having nothing to lose and you win a lot of free new plants!
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Author Bio Box: Marina Shemesh
http://www.helium.com/users/387295
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