How plants are propagated by cuttings (+video)
April 1, 2022 34 Comments
Can we create a new plant just by planting a twig?
Many times we admire a plant and want to have another, without having seeds to plant. It is enough to cut a twig (graft) and plant it in soil or put it in water for it to take root.
There are several ways to propagate plants. The best known are propagation by seed, grafting done on trees, propagation by cuttings, propagation by offshoots and propagation by cuttings.
Cuttings are parts of plant stems that, under suitable conditions, have the ability to develop a root system and produce new plants.
This simple way of creating new plants with cuttings gives us plants that have exactly the same characteristics as the original plant from which we cut them.
The ease and speed of this particular method makes it particularly popular for propagation in nurseries, but also by amateurs who want to create new plants in their garden and share with loved ones.
Let’s take a look at which plants are propagated by cuttings, what types of cuttings are available along with helpful tips on the process we follow to create healthy and vigorous new plants.
1. How are cuttings distinguished according to the season when we cut them?
Depending on the cutting season, cuttings have different characteristics and are divided into three main types: a) soft cuttings, b) semi-woody cuttings and c) woody cuttings.
a) Leafy or soft cuttings : Cuttings that we take from the plants during the initial vegetation, in the spring season. Leafy cuttings are soft tender, relatively thin, green shoots that are cut from plants to propagate during the months of March to May.
b) Semi-woody or semi-hard cuttings : Cuttings taken from plants during summer vegetation. Semi-woody cuttings are relatively hard, partially lignified, relatively thick shoots that are cut from plants to propagate during the months of June to September.
c) Woody cuttings : Cuttings that we receive during the winter period of plant dormancy. Woody cuttings are shoots that have lignified and are cut from the plants to propagate them during the months of October to February.
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2. Which plants can we propagate by cuttings?
As we mentioned above, with the cutting method, we can make new ornamental plants, aromatic plants, fruit trees and fruit bushes.
Ornamental plants propagated by cuttings
Most ornamental plants can be propagated very easily by cuttings. As an example, we mention the following favorite ornamental plants.
- the propagation of the rose,
- the propagation of the geranium,
- the propagation of hibiscus,
- the multiplication of photinia,
- the propagation of oleander,
- the proliferation of angelica,
- the propagation of lantana,
- the propagation of jasmine,
- the proliferation of spermatozoa,
- the propagation of the viburnum,
- the proliferation of honeysuckle,
- the multiplication of vines,
- ivy propagation,
- the propagation of wisteria,
- the proliferation of ligustrum,
- the multiplication of the benjamin fig,
- the propagation of magnolia
How is the rose propagated?
Aromatic plants propagated by cuttings
Most aromatic plants can be propagated by cuttings. Below, we list in detail the list of favorite aromatic plants that are propagated by the cutting method.
- the propagation of basil,
- the proliferation of mint,
- the multiplication of sage,
- the propagation of lavender,
- the propagation of rosemary,
- the cultivation of mint,
- the cultivation of thyme,
- oregano cultivation,
- the cultivation of marjoram,
- the cultivation of the laurel
How is basil propagated?
Fruit trees propagated by cuttings
Many fruit trees can be propagated by cuttings as listed below:
- the propagation of the olive,
- the multiplication of the fig tree,
- the cultivation of the lemon tree,
- orange cultivation,
- mandarin cultivation,
- the cultivation of the mulberry,
- almond cultivation,
- hazelnut cultivation,
- the cultivation of carob,
- the cultivation of loquat,
- the cultivation of the lotus
Fig propagation, how we create new plants
Fruit-bearing shrubs propagated by cuttings
Several fruit-bearing shrubs listed below can be propagated by cuttings.
- the cultivation of the raspberry
- the cultivation of raspberries
- the cultivation of the blueberry
- the cultivation of the gooseberry
- the cultivation of the cherry
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3. How are plants propagated by cuttings?
In order to create our own plants successfully, we carefully follow the process of the plant propagation method with cuttings as detailed below:
First, we cut a twig from the plant we want to propagate
- Cut the cuttings 10-15 cm long from strong shoots that do not have flowers and fruits, a few millimeters below the eye.
- We remove the leaves, from the base of the cuttings up to 2/3 of the length. We keep a few leaves so that the plant can photosynthesize.
Remove the leaves from the base of the graft
- Wet the base of the graft in water and put it in rooting hormone, shaking it slightly. Rooting hormone is a substance that helps the plant to grow roots and we get it from agricultural stores.
- Alternatively, we use honey as a natural rooting hormone by dipping the base of the graft, although it is less effective than rooting hormone.
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- We open a hole in the soil with a straw or a pencil and plant the graft in a small pot containing fluffy potting soil. If we use garden soil, we add enough sand and perlite to lighten it.
- We place the pot with the graft in a bright, cool environment where the sun’s rays do not hit it directly.
- To help the plant take root faster, we can cover the pot with the graft with a nylon bag for 2 weeks. The nylon bag rests on 3-4 straws that we have nailed to the soil so that it does not come into contact with the transplant.
- We water the cuttings and spray the foliage with water, every 2 days to maintain a relative humidity in the soil and the environment. If we have covered the plant graft with a bag, we open the bag for a while every 3-4 days to water the plant and to ventilate it.
- After 2-3 months, our plant will have taken root and can be transplanted to its final location.
4. Can plant twigs take root in water?
For amateur gardeners, the method of propagating plants by cuttings has an easy home variation. In particular, we can put plant sprigs to root in water and then transplant them into the pots.
This method of propagating plants by cuttings in water is mainly applied with soft cuttings of ornamental plants such as geranium and dimorphothecia, as well as aromatic plants such as basil, mint and mint.
5. And a secret for propagating plants by cuttings
In nurseries, there are special areas for rooting the cuttings called rooting beds. The rooting rooms have a misting system and controlled humidity and temperature conditions so that the plants form a rich root system more quickly.
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