MAKING NEW PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS
Asexual Propagation = Genetically the same as parent plant, not from 2 parents as in a hybrid or seedling. This is a great way to increase your plants in a economical way and share with friends.
There are a variety of ways in which you can take cuttings from your plants and it is important to know what type to take in order to maximise success,
This technique is used for most all soft, tender, half-ripe SOFTWOOD plants, like houseplants, flowering perennials, fast growing herbs and vines etc. mainly before bloom.
Also HALF-RIPE is from the stems of plants well advanced in their season of growth and already becoming fairly firm.
SEMI-HARDWOOD is usually done in Autumn after the summer bloom, Roses, Rosemary, flowering shrubs, Azaleas, Lavenders, Coleus, geraniums and tropical trees...
HARDWOOD is from past seasons growth when the shoots have become fully ripe and firm. Some deciduous cuttings may be callused in storage and planted in spring. I usually do this with trees and hardy shrubs, Willows, Grape vines, .
BASAL CUTTINGS are from non-flowering shoots thrown up from the base of the plant, sometimes directly from the roots. Stem cutting where the base of the cutting is made at the point where the young shoot joins the older branch. At this point there is often some swelling in the stem. The basal cutting does not necessarily contain any older wood, as does the heel cutting. Example; Chrysanthemum, Delphiniums, and Dahlias.
There are a variety of ways in which you can take cuttings from your plants and it is important to know what type to take in order to maximise success,
This technique is used for most all soft, tender, half-ripe SOFTWOOD plants, like houseplants, flowering perennials, fast growing herbs and vines etc. mainly before bloom.
Also HALF-RIPE is from the stems of plants well advanced in their season of growth and already becoming fairly firm.
SEMI-HARDWOOD is usually done in Autumn after the summer bloom, Roses, Rosemary, flowering shrubs, Azaleas, Lavenders, Coleus, geraniums and tropical trees...
HARDWOOD is from past seasons growth when the shoots have become fully ripe and firm. Some deciduous cuttings may be callused in storage and planted in spring. I usually do this with trees and hardy shrubs, Willows, Grape vines, .
BASAL CUTTINGS are from non-flowering shoots thrown up from the base of the plant, sometimes directly from the roots. Stem cutting where the base of the cutting is made at the point where the young shoot joins the older branch. At this point there is often some swelling in the stem. The basal cutting does not necessarily contain any older wood, as does the heel cutting. Example; Chrysanthemum, Delphiniums, and Dahlias.
TOOLS NEEDED:
- Sharp, clean cutting tool - knife or pruner.
- Baggy and pen to label plant and keep from drying out.
- Sterile, clean, container and soil-less medium - shallow pan with drainage holes at depth of 2" depending on size of cutting (to keep humid), or 3 to 6" pot.
- Labels to remember plant name, and the date propagated with #2 pencil. I like a plastic storage box with clear lid, or store bought mini greenhouses.
- Rooting hormone, or willow water*. chopstick.
Soil-less medium: 1 part perlite or clean sand. 1 part vermiculite, 1 part sterile compost (or peatmoss for acid loving plants, like begonias and fuchsias.) For drought tolerant plants or hairy stems, straight perlite.
Transplant mix: 4 parts good potting soil, 1 part perlite or sand. (More perlite for drought tolerant plants)
* Willow water is ground cut twigs of any kind of willow (Salix sp.) and made into a tea, cool before use. Will last a week or freeze.
STEM (TIP) CUTTINGS - SOFTWOOD CUTTING
Have your clean container with soil-less medium ready, moist not soggy. Take cuttings a quarter to three-eighths inch in diameter (about the diameter of a pencil or slightly larger)
- Count down from a tip of a healthy branch of about 4-6 nodes or 3 to 5". With a sterile cutting tool, cut below a node on a softwood or semi-hardwood stem to about 3 to 5" TIP CUTTING. I try to make cuts that will not disfigure the parent plant. They will root where the leaf was at the node.
Softwood in spring, and early summer.
Semi-hardwood cuttings may be taken in autumn after flowering for most plants.
- Remove the flowers, buds and lower leaves, by snapping downward, or cutting off with scissors all the way to the top 3-4 leaves and cut those in half leaving new shoots. (this helps save energy from the shock, will concentrate on rooting, not making new leaves.)
- Dip stem in rooting hormone, at least 3 nodes to 6. Or soak cutting in willow water for 5 minutes.
- Punch a hole with your chopstick and gently place the cutting in 3 nodes or more, try to keep hormone on and don't bury new leaves. Some people crowd many cuttings in a pot, some people will place one cutting in each 3" pot to prevent spread of diseases. I've done both with equal success. try to keep leaves from touching each other and the sides of box/mini greenhouse. Mist with luke warm water. and place into clear box, cover.
- I place my trays in a clear plastic box with a lid, Under grow lights or outside with morning light, (No direct sun) and if its cold outside then bring the box inside for the night and if you have a area that can be warmed with bottom heat then your cutting will be faster in rooting. Keep looking to make sure that they are not rotting from too much moisture or too dry.
- In about 6 to 12 weeks you should have roots, slowly uncover box a little day by day for a week and accumulate them to normal outdoor temperatures, otherwise they go into shock. Pinch the tips to encourage bushiness.
- Transfer to new small pots that fit the root size with Transplant soil mix, once established in the new pot they can be transplanted to next size pot to get established before being planted in the ground or largest pot. This gradual upgrade encourages rooting, if put into too large a pot, it stays waterlogged and may get fungal or bacterial root rot.
- Pinch again if needed and give a good complete mild fertilizer at this point. Graduate to more sun if needed if the plant stretches toward light.
FOR BEGONIAS, RHIZOMATOUS AND REX TYPES:
WEDGE LEAF CUTTINGS, mostly taken in summer.
Good for medium, large and giant-leaved begonias with rhizome roots either above ground or surface creepers. Use shallow tray with perlite and peatmoss mix. use clear spastic box with lid or cover as a mini greenhouse. NO need for rooting hormone.
- Cut the leaf from the plant and then remove the petiole (leaf stalk.) First cut the center out in a circular fashion. The cut wedges from the main part of the leaf. Put the wedge in the rooting medium at a depth to 1/4 to 1/3" the bottom length of wedge.
- Or cut leaf in wedges from the main center of leaf with a piece of petiole with a sharp knife
- you can also cut more of the leaf into smaller wedges, the goal is to have some veins in the wedges.
- When you put wedges in the propagation container, make certain that you put them in straight and in lines, not touching each other. label in pencil, cover the box with lid, make sure it stays moist not damp or too dry.
CONE LEAF CUTTINGS, is a faster way and will get more baby sprouts
- Cut the center of leaf blade (Leave the petiole on and insert 1/2 in medium)
- With the remainder of the leaf, form a loose core with cut edge so its even cut side in rooting medium or 1" deep.
WHOLE LEAF CUTTING Also for Gloxinia , African Violets and Peperomia
- Cut a medium size leaf leaving 1/2" of petiole, cut slits across veins from the bottom, this is were the new plants will form. You can powder with rooting hormone on slits. lay flat on perlite in tray, peg down with hair pins or staples so slits are in perlite. cover and wait 6 weeks. transplant in small pots and slowly move up o next size in a peat-base potting soil. Use a fertilizer for acid loving plants.
CARE OF LEAF CUTTINGS
Keep rooting medium moist at all times, not soggy wet. water by putting tray in room temp. water to soak up from drainage holes. Best to start and grow under grow lights or location of good light, no direct sun.
Plants will appear in 4 to 6 weeks some varieties take longer.
About 1 week before you plan to transplant the plantlets, remove the cover of propagation container gradually a little each day, this "HARDENS OFF" and prevents shock.
When you transplant, put the plantlets in a small plastic pot using a soil-less mix with some mild fertilizer added or 1/2 potting soil with 1/2 perlite with 1/2 peatmoss.
Be careful not to disturb the roots system when transplanting, hold the baby plantlet by the leaf, very gently and use chopstick to dig up from medium, and do not remove rooting medium that clings to the root system.
The plantlets should remain in their soil-less mix for 3 to 4 weeks, sometimes more if weather is cold.
Next transplant the small plants into the next size pot using potting soil with peatmoss, then when plant fills that pot, next size up again into a clay pot.
Repot every other year with new peatmoss type potting soil and use acid type fertilizer.
Info for Begonias is from the book
Begonias The Complete Reference Guide by Mildred L. Thompson and Edward J. Thompson 1981
Also check out http://www.begonias.org/greenhouse/Care/brads_articles/propagation.htm
it has very good drawings, (I disagree that rooting in water is OK, I find that they have different roots in water that perlite or sand, but its worth a try.)
