Propogating House Plants by Cuttings

Plant propagation is fun and easy in the home and is a good way to increase your number of plants inexpensively. Plants produced from cuttings will be identical to the parent plant, though there are a few exceptions. Plants can reproduce asexually from pieces of stem, leaves and roots because the cambium layer, a tissue located just beneath the plant’s surface, forms a callus tissue once it is cut from which new roots and shoots can develop.

It is important to provide the correct environment for rooting cuttings and to keep them healthy during the process. Select propagating material that is healthy, free of disease and insect problems and of a good green color. Good techniques and proper environment cannot make up for use of poorly selected cutting material.

Adequate light must be provided as well, although cuttings and newly rooted plants must be protected from direct sunlight. Intense light levels cause excess water loss and cuttings may wilt rapidly. Remember, there are no roots on the cutting initially that can take up water.

High relative humidity of 90 to 100 percent is necessary when propagating plants. This decreases evaporative loss of water from the leaves so the cutting will not dry out. Humidity can be maintained around the cuttings by covering the container and cuttings with a plastic bag or 'tent.' Once cuttings are rooted, this covering can be removed.

Almost any container can be used for propagating plants if it provides drainage. Make sure containers are clean. Use a mixture of equal parts of perlite and sphagnum peat moss as a good rooting media that provides moisture retention, good air and water drainage and permits roots to penetrate easily. Keep the media moist, but not soggy during rooting.

Root-inducing hormones are beneficial to use. Dipping the base of the cutting in this material helps obtain uniformity in rooting and development of a heavier root system. Avoid using too much on each cutting as this may inhibit rooting. Remember, hormones are not a substitute for good propagation techniques and using healthy plant material. Root-inducing hormones are available at garden centers.

Stem Cutting:
Probably the most common method of propagating plants in the home is by stem cuttings. Pruning an old plant to acquire cuttings helps recondition the plant and causes new branches to form. Each cutting should be one to three inches long and have two or three leaves attached. Cut 1/4 inch below the node and pull off the leaf at the node. Insert the cutting in the media so this node is covered with soil.

Some common plants that can be propagated using this method include boxwood, citrus, coleus, croton, fittonia, some peperomias, prayer plant, velvet plant and zebra plant.

Cane Cutting:Plants such as Chinese evergreen, Dieffenbachia and Dracaena that develop cane-like stems can be propagated by cane cuttings (actually a type of stem cutting that has no leaves). A stem that has lost many older leaves can be cut into one-inch long sections, each including at least two 'circular rings' (leaf scars). Between these rings are dormant buds that will grow into new plants. The piece can either be laid horizontally on the soil or set vertically so that half the piece is covered with soil. It may take some time for these pieces to root and sprout.

Leaf Cuttings:
The leaf blade, or the leaf blade and its stem, is used to propagate a few plants such as Rex begonia, African violet, Sansevieria, Jade plant and some peperomias. Roots and shoots form at the base of the leaf; the original leaf does not become a part of the new plant, but is usually discarded when the new plant is transplanted. It usually takes longer for this kind of cutting to root than stem cuttings.

Leaf-Bud Cutting:
This cutting consists of the leaf blade, the leaf stem and a short section of stem with the attached bud. This method can be used to produce many plants from a single parent plant--at least twice as many as produced from stem cuttings, though it may take more time for new growth to develop.
These cuttings are best made from material having well-developed buds and healthy, actively growing leaves. Pothos, philodendron, Jade plant, ivies and most of the plants propagated from stem cuttings can be propagated this way.