Basic toolkit:
- Cuttings from friends or plants to take cuttings from (always ask first!)
- Secateurs or sharp scissors
- Old jam jar(s)
- Plastic plant pot(s)
- Good quality potting mix
- Marker pen
- Hormone rooting powder (optional)
- Hair clips or wire (for method four)
Method One: Stem cuttings
One of the easiest methods; try with devil’s ivy, philodendrons and hoyas.
- Cut about 10cm off the end of a stem, making the cut just below a node (the spot where a leaf joins the stem).
- Remove the bottom leaf and place the stem into a jar of clean water.
- Replace the water every few days until you can see roots growing.
- Transplant the cutting into a pot of potting mix.
Method Two: Side shoot cuttings
Side shoots or “pups” are baby plants that grow from the side of the “mother plant”. This is common in succulents, bromeliads and the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides). They form on side stems on spider plants.
- Locate the side shoot or pup at the base of the plant.
- Gently cut down the side shoot to separate it, avoiding cutting off any little roots.
- Place the pup into some potting mix.
- Keep moist but not damp, and a new plant will develop.
Method Three: Leaf blade cuttings
Works well with snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata cv.).
- Cut off a snake plant leaf as close to the soil as possible
- Cut the leaf into segments about 10cm long, making a small mark on each bit to indicate the “top”.
- Allow the segments to sit for a couple of days until the ends dry off.
- Dip the base of the cuttings into rooting hormone powder, if using. See tips below for more detail.
- Place cuttings about 3cm into a pot of mix.
- Gently mist or water in and keep moist but not wet.
Method Four: Leaf vein cuttings
This is a great method for plants with prominent leaf veins, such as Rex begonias, African violets, and peperomia species.
- Snip a leaf from the main plant and cut off any stem as close to the leaf as possible.
- Place the leaf face-down so that veins are visible, including the large mid or main vein.
- Cut leaf into segments, including a section of the main vein in each cutting.
- Place the cuttings vein-down on the surface of the potting mix, and secure in place with a bobby pin or piece of wire.
- Once roots have developed, gently transplant cuttings to their own pots.
Growing tip: Using rooting hormone
Many gardeners dip plant cuttings into a rooting hormone to increase the chances — and speed — of them growing new roots.
The hormone comes in a number of forms — powder, liquid and a gel.
The liquid form is sold ready-to-use and as a concentrate that needs to be diluted first. The powder has a longer shelf life than liquid and is often cheaper. Gel is convenient but often more expensive; it also comes in different strengths, colour coded by the lid.
Whatever form you choose, always tip a small amount into a separate container and dip the plant stem or leaf into this, to avoid contaminating the whole mix.
Source: ABC News
