Plants can be successfully grown from cuttings – a method that saves you money and provides you — or your friends — more plants.
Another plus? You don’t need any special equipment.
A cutting is a method of asexual reproduction. The new plant will have the same characteristics of the parent plant.
One popular method of propagation is stem cuttings.
Tender new growth forms at the tip of the stem; the stem becomes woodier toward the bottom and the roots.
Stem cuttings of the new growth is easier for beginner gardeners. Cuttings from the woody part of the stem are more difficult to propagate. For instance, you could propagate a croton plant by taking a stem cutting and planting it in a pot.
Use your clean pruners to remove a 4-inch- to 6-inch-section, or cutting, from the main plant. It’s important to note that some plants require cuttings to be longer. For example, plumeria cuttings are 12 inches to 15 inches long.
Be brutal. Remove any flowers from the cutting, and strip off the lower leaves from the stem. You’ll want to keep a few leaves for photosynthesis, but you also want to reduce transpiration and encourage the cutting to put its energy into producing new roots. Some cuttings, like plumeria, need to dry first so a callus forms at the cut end of the stem. If it’s not possible to plant your cutting right away, wrap it in several layers of paper towels and place in a zip-top bag to keep the cutting moist until you’re ready to plant.
Choose an appropriate pot for your cutting. Use clay or plastic containers, but make sure the container has drainage holes so the cutting does not stay too wet. Many people prefer plastic containers (similar to the 4-inch pots you find at the nursery) because they don’t dry out as quickly as clay pots.
Place the cutting upright in a sterile potting mix, planting them about 1-inch deep. Longer cuttings, such as those for plumeria, will need to be planted about 3-inches deep so they stand upright in the pot. Choose potting soil that drains well.
You can try using a rooting hormone. Dip the cutting about ½-inch in the rooting hormone before planting in the soil. Rooting hormones are available at garden centers and nurseries.
Locate your cutting in bright, indirect light so it gets some light but not the hot, afternoon sun. Keep the soil moist until the cutting establishes roots and begins to put out new growth. You may transplant your cutting into the garden once it has established roots and you see new leaves. This process may take a few months, depending on the plant. You could also share your plant with friends or give them as gifts.
Some of my favorite plants to root from cuttings include croton, Chinese rain bell, Dracaena, hibiscus, Euphorbia graminea, African blue basil and firespike. My colleagues, Lynn Barber and JoAnn Hoffman, suggest growing salvia and cat’s whiskers. The publication Gardening with Perennials in Florida lists perennials that may be grown from cuttings. See this link http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG10800.pdf for more information on plant propagation and how to design your own “small-scale propagation unit.”
For additional information, contact Nicole Pinson at or (813) 744-5519, ext. 54145.
Nicole Pinson is the Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County. The author gratefully acknowledges Master Gardener Nancy Ham for contributing to this article.
References used for this column were:
Koeser, A., G. Hasing, and D. McLean. (2016). Plumeria: Propagation from Cuttings. IFAS Publication Number ENH1228. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP48900.pdf.
Park Brown, S. (2014). Gardening with Perennials in Florida. IFAS Publication Number ENH-68. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG03500.pdf.
Park Brown, S. (2016). Plant Propagation Techniques for the Florida Gardener. IFAS Publication Number CIR579. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG10800.pdf.
Published June 28, 2017
