How to grow a plant from a cutting? You don’t need to be a garden expert to get new plants of your favorite varieties. Even beginners can successfully multiply plants simply by planting simple stem cuttings to take root. The method is known as “propagation” and involves the plants growing from cuttings. This method is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to expand your garden, and it has other benefits. When plants are born from seed, each new plant is different, like siblings in a human family. But by cutting cuttings from the stems, each new plant is double its parent plant. With just a few propagation tips and a few simple steps, you’ll get twice the fun and your favorite garden plants.

Before beginning propagation, it is important to know when to cut the plant cuttings. Nursery professionals do it at different times of the year, depending on the plant and its new stems’ maturity. But the easiest cuttings to take root are cut when the stems are still tender. The four basic types of stem cuttings are:

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• Non-Woody Young Stem Cuttings:  These cuttings come from plants with stems that remain tender year-round and die over the winter. Colorful coleus, home vine plants, and garden perennials belong to this family. Young stem cuttings can be cut at any time of the year as they quickly and easily take root.
• Soft woody cuttings: For some woody plants, including lilacs and blueberries, it is easier for cuttings to take root when cut from the newer, more tender woody stems. When cut directly from new stems that have just started to mature in late spring and early summer, it is easier for woody cuttings to take root. During this stage, the leaves are small and new at the shoot’s tip but have their full size closer to the base.
• Woody cuttings:  As the name implies, these cuttings are cut when the stems harden. These cuttings still come from plants grown last spring and summer, but the stems are completely hardened and dormant. Fully woody cuttings, which are more difficult to take root, are cut between late fall and late winter when the plants show no active growth signs. Needle evergreen plants, including junipers, cypresses, and pines, often root best from woody cuttings.

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Many people’s favorite plants will take root from different types of cuttings. For example, hydrangeas take good roots from fully woody, softly woody cuttings. Roses take root from cut cuttings during all three stages: soft woody, semi-woody, and fully woody. However, softly woody cuttings are generally the easiest, simplest, and fastest to take root, so these are best used for the best results.

Remember, be sure to cut the cuttings based on the plant’s growth and not on the schedule. In southern climates, plants grow earlier and stem mature earlier, so plan for propagation when plant shoots reach the soft woody stage (May through mid-July in most regions). Soft woodiness occurs between the flexible new growth and the woody base of the current year’s stems. In rose bushes, it is just below the withered flowers. In hydrangeas, you should look for the new stems’ lighter colors. Bend the stem to test for woodiness. If it bends but breaks easily, that is the soft, woody stage.

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Organize and have the necessary supplies ready before cutting the cuttings:

• Sharp knives or hand pruners – Make sure your blades are sharp, so cuttings are smooth and clean. Using hand trimmers, use undercut ones because straight-based blades can crush the stems. Before you begin, clean your blades with a household disinfectant to sterilize them.
• Growing trays or pots – Choose small individual trays or pots for the cuttings to take root. If you reuse old pots, sterilize them first by washing them with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Root Hormone  – Nursery and garden center professionals know that high-quality root hormones increase the chances of successful cuttings. The hormone for GardenTech® RootBoost ™ roots stimulates root development, promotes uniform growth of roots, and helps all types of cuttings take root more easily.
• Small Plate – This plate is used to pour a small amount of Root Hormone when treating your cuttings to prevent contamination of the remaining product in the original container.
• Root growing medium  – Unlike sowing soil and other planting media, root growing medium does not provide nutrients, only support and moisture. A mixture of one part sphagnum and three parts sand makes an excellent root growing medium. Another mix that works well is the combination of perlite with sterile potting mix without soil.
• Plastic bags – Choose bags that easily fit over the trays to act like small greenhouses.

Once you have all your supplies ready, it’s time to cut cuttings!

Use the same basic technique as roses and hydrangeas when working with simple soft woody cuttings. Work in the morning when the plants are cool and well hydrated. Choose healthy, well-nourished plants and follow these ten tips:

1. Moisten the root growing medium liberally the night before cutting the cuttings. Fill your trays or pots and water the medium again in the morning.
2. Choose a soft woody bud with several leaves along the stem. You can take several cuttings from the same shoot.
3. Cut the sprout into pieces 4 to 6 inches (10.16 cm to 15.24 cm) long. Cut each piece just above a nodule – the swollen area that looks like a junction where the leaves meet.
4. So Cut all the leaves into each piece, except for one leaf or group of leaves at the top.
5. If necessary, wrap the cuttings in slightly damp paper towels to keep them moist. The soft woody fabric is very cuddly, so don’t let it dry out.

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1. Pour a small amount of GardenTech® Root Boost ™ Root Hormone into a plate. It would help if you discarded what is left after use, so only pour in as much as you think you will use.
2. Work with one cut at a time. Lightly wet the lower end of the cutting, then dip the tip of the cutting in the rooting hormone until it is completely covered. Shake the stem gently to remove excess, and then place the cutting at a slight angle into the pre-moistened trays.
3. Cover the trays or pots with plastic bags and place them in a warm, shady area that only receives indirect light. Ideal temperatures are between 70ºF and 75ºF (between 21ºC and 23ºC).
4. Spray the cuttings regularly to keep them hydrated while their roots grow. Water as needed to keep the root growing medium evenly wet.
5. In about four weeks, gently pull the cuttings to feel a slight resistance to new roots. Congratulations! Some of the non-woody cuttings take root in a few days. Some roses take root in just two weeks. The soft woody cuttings of hydrangeas usually take root in the first month.
6. How to grow a plant from a cutting.

For plants with soft stems, such as coleus, propagation is even simpler. Coleus cuttings take root more quickly and easily at any time of the year, even in water, but roots that grow in water can be thinner and weaker than those that grow in the root-growing medium. Rooted cuttings are the perfect way to propagate young coleus through the winter and start over in the spring. To get strong and healthy cuttings, follow these steps:

1. Prepare trays, root growing medium, and root hormone in the same way you would with soft woody cuttings.
2. Cut a 3-4 inch (7.62 cm to 10.16 cm) piece from the stem and cut just above a nodule.
3. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and wet the tip.
4. Dip the cutting in the rooting hormone and follow steps 7-10 above.

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With the simple steps mentioned above and the help of GardenTech® RootBoost ™ (How to grow a plant from a cutting) Root Hormone, you’ll soon be propagating your plants like a pro. Start with simple, tender-stemmed cuttings and then move on to woody cuttings, which are more difficult for them to take root. You will have a more abundant and beautiful garden before you know it.