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Cuttings are taken from different parts of the plant and
rooted in moist sand, or other special mix. Here are some of
the main types
Stem tip cuttings: These are
easiest. Cut 5 to 10cm from the tip, just below a node. Take
off the bottom leaves that would be covered by the rooting
medium. Place cuttings upright in your pot or tray. Water
them. Cover with clear plastic and put in a warm place with
bright light.
After a few days, remove the plastic. When cuttings have
good roots, transplant into pots using a standard soil
mix.
A chrysanthemum flower
Some plants you can use are: chrysanthemum, coleus,
forsythia, geranium, peperomia, and wax begonia.
Leaf petiole cuttings: These will
give a new plant from just a leaf and its stalk (the
petiole). Use young, healthy, medium-sized leaves. Cut them
from the plant, leaving the petiole about one inch long.
Place them in rooting medium deep enough to cover the
petiole and firm the medium around it. Treat them like stem
tip cuttings.
Some plants you can use are: jade plant, peperomia,
piggy-back plant, and African violet.
African violet plants under artificial
light
Leaf section cuttings.
Snakeplant is grown from leaf-section cuttings. Cut a leaf
into 5cm sections and stick them halfway into rooting
medium, right side up! Keep fairly dry.
It will make roots after about one month. Young plants
form a month or so after that. If you remove the young
plants, more will start. Striped snake plants produce plain
green ones because the new plants grow from the center where
the leaf is green.
Stem section cuttings. Some house
plants are grown from stem-section cuttings. Cut the stem
into sections so that each has one or more nodes. Lay the
sections flat on sand or vermiculite, and cover the bottom
half.
Some plants you can use are: Chinese evergreen, dracaena,
and dumb cane. You can also try this with hydrangeas, if you
use parts of stem where the buds are showing.
Root cuttings: These should be
5cm long, about 1/2 to 1cm across for trees and shrubs. Keep
the end that grew toward the stem pointing up! Place in
moist rooting medium with the tops just above the
surface.
Some plants you can use are: chrysanthemum, apple,
cherry, hawthorn, plum, quince, and blackberry.
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