Home » Misc » Plants grown from cuttings

Plants grown from cuttings


30 Plants That Grow From Cuttings in Soil

Plants that grow from cuttings can fill your garden with lush flowers, herbs, and more for minimal effort and cost. You can take cuttings from mature plants you already have or ask people you know for cuttings from their plants. Then, you just need a small container of soilless potting mix to get them started. Plant cuttings are grouped into four basic categories: softwood, greenwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood.

Here are 30 of the best plants that grow from cuttings. Most of these examples are meant for outdoor growth within their hardiness zones, but some can also be grown as houseplants.

Tip

It's possible to start stem cuttings in either soil or water. However, soil is usually the preferred method. It generally produces healthier roots and results in less shock to the cutting when you ultimately plant it in a different soil-filled container or the ground. On the flip side, growing cuttings in water is inexpensive and easy, requiring supplies you likely already have (a small container and water). Water-loving plants that grow in boggy areas are especially suited for rooting in water.

Softwood Cuttings

Softwood cuttings come from fresh, new growth. They're usually taken in the spring or early summer. Some plants that grow well from softwood cuttings include:

Greenwood Cuttings

Greenwood—also called herbaceous—cuttings are from plants that have non-woody stems. They're usually taken in the spring or early summer. Here are some examples:

Semi-Hardwood Cuttings

Semi-hardwood—also known as semi-ripe—cuttings are tougher and more mature than softwood or greenwood. They're usually taken from midsummer to fall. Some examples include:

Hardwood Cuttings and Other Plants

Hardwood cuttings can be taken from deciduous shrubs, climbers (e.g., vines), fruits, and trees. They are often taken when the plant is dormant. Here are some examples:

Other plants fall into one or more of the four categories that produce well from cuttings. They include dianthus plants, also called "pinks," that belong to the carnation family, as well as geraniums, jade , lavender, penstemon, rosemary, and veronica.

Houseplants to Grow From Cuttings

Many houseplants also can be propagated by cuttings. One perk to doing this is you know the plant can grow well in your indoor growing conditions if you already have a mature species. You generally can take the cuttings anytime from a healthy plant. Here are some popular examples: 

Tips and Hints

The plant that gives you the cuttings is called the parent plant. Look for a healthy house or garden plant that you want to propagate. The parent plant should be large enough that removing one or more cutting won't harm it.

Locate a stem that has a node, the spot on the stem where a leaf is or was attached. It is the area that will generate new roots. Use scissors or pruners that have been sterilized in alcohol to make a clean cut just below a node. The cutting doesn’t need to be very long; a single node with a couple of leaves should be fine. In general, shoot for a cutting that's somewhere between 4 and 8 inches.

Be prepared for some cuttings not to be successful by taking more than you need.

Preparing Cuttings

Place the cutting on a flat, hard surface, and make a clean slice through the middle of the node. Plant stems send out their new roots from the nodes. So making a cut at the node increases your chance of successfully rooting the cutting.

Remove all but one or two leaves. The cutting needs some leaf growth to continue photosynthesis because it can’t take in any food from roots it doesn’t yet have.  But too many leaves will sap energy from its efforts to create new roots. If the leaves are very large in proportion to the stem, cut them in half.

Planting Cuttings

Fill a clean container with soilless potting mix to hold the cutting. A soilless mix drains better than garden soil and achieves a moist but not wet quality. Additionally, garden soil contains spores and other pathogens that could kill the cutting before it takes root. You don't need a large container or a lot of potting mix. Once the cuttings take root, you will transfer them to a larger pot or the ground.

It's ideal, but not essential, to dip the cut end of your cuttings in rooting hormone. Then, with a pencil or similar pointed object, poke holes into the potting mix. Making holes in the rooting medium will ensure that the rooting hormone remains on the cutting and doesn't rub off on the soil as you push it in.

Carefully place the cuttings into the holes you made in your potting mix, and gently firm the soil around them. You can fit several cuttings into one container, but space them so the leaves do not touch one another.

How to Grow Plants From Cuttings

Grow New Plants at Home With This Easy Propagation Method

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 10/25/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Jiaqi Zhou

Project Overview

Garden plants can be propagated in many ways, but one of the easiest methods is taking stem cuttings. How to grow plants from cuttings is simple: Trim off a healthy portion of stem, place it in water or a growing medium until it develops roots, and then plant it in a pot or the ground.

Growing plants from cuttings is a common way to create new houseplants, but it can also work for many garden plants. In cold-weather zones, some gardeners take clippings of tender annuals and root them indoors to prepare a supply of new plants for garden planting in the spring.

Here's what to know about how you grow a plant from a stem cutting.

Watch Now: How to Propagate Dipladenia

When to Take Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings can be taken and rooted at almost any time during the parent plant's active growth period. You also can take cuttings from many woody plants (plants with hard stems) during their dormancy. In cold climates, you can take cuttings in the fall before frost arrives, root them indoors, and then transfer them to pots. By springtime, you will have vigorous potted plants that can go back into the garden.

Types of Plants to Grow From Cuttings

Soft-stemmed herbaceous plants are the easiest to grow from cuttings, but many woody plants can also be propagated with this method. The following list includes examples of plants that grow from cuttings.

Before You Begin

The key to successful rooting of stem clippings is to find the moisture and temperature level appropriate for each type of plant. Do some research on the species you are trying to propagate to learn the conditions it likes best. You can make your plant cuttings grow faster not only by providing the conditions they like but also by applying rooting hormone to the cut end, which helps to encourage root production. It's also best to take several clippings to maximize your chances of success.

How long plant cuttings take to root varies widely depending on the type of plant. Many herbaceous annuals will quickly grow to maturity. But cuttings from perennials and woody plants, such as shrubs, can be harder to root and take longer to reach maturity.

Tip

It is possible to grow a plant from a cutting in water. Simply place the cut end down in a container partially filled with plain water, and refresh the water every few days until a substantial root system has formed. However, transferring a water-rooted seedling to soil is not always successful, so it's generally better to plant cuttings straight into soil.

Equipment / Tools

Materials

The Spruce / Loren Probish

How to Grow Plants From Cuttings

  1. Prepare a Container

    Fill a clean 6-inch-deep container with soilless potting mix to hold cuttings for rooting. A soilless mix drains well and provides suitably moist conditions that encourage the cutting to root. Don't use ordinary garden soil, as it might contain pathogens that can kill the cutting before it ever takes root.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  2. Choose a Parent Plant

    Select a healthy parent plant from which to take cuttings. Avoid plants with diseases or lots of drooping or dying foliage. The best specimens for cuttings will have plenty of new growth and be large enough that taking cuttings will not harm them.

    Tip

    Good green growth is more important in a parent plant than plentiful flower buds. Too many flowers can actually hinder the ability of a cutting to grow roots.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  3. Find the Best Stems for Cutting

    Choose green, soft (non-woody) stems for cuttings. Newer growth is easier to root than woody, older stems. Look for a stem with a node—a bump along the stem where a leaf or flower bud attaches.  This point is where new roots will emerge. 

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  4. Take the Plant Cutting

    Use a pair of scissors or a razor blade that has been sterilized in alcohol to make a clean cut just below a node. The cutting doesn’t need to be long, but it should contain at least two leaves and one node. A cutting that is 4 to 6 inches long is usually sufficient. Longer cuttings sometimes dry out when placed in their growing medium.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  5. Prepare the Cutting

    Place the cutting on a flat, hard surface, and make a clean, partial slice through the middle of the node with a sterilized razor blade. Scarring the node will increase the chances of roots emerging from this spot.

    Then, remove all but one or two leaves on the cutting. The cutting needs some leaf growth to continue photosynthesis, but too many leaves will consume energy that would otherwise go to root creation. If the leaves are very large in proportion to the stem, cut off the top halves of the leaves.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  6. Apply Rooting Hormone (Optional)

    Wet the node end of the cutting, and then dip it in a small container of rooting hormone. Tap off any excess hormone; too much actually hinders chances for success. This step is optional. Some plants root easily on their own, but rooting hormone can help others by stimulating the cutting into sending out new roots.

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

  7. Bore a Planting Hole

    Use a pencil or similar pointed object to poke a planting hole into the potting mix, rather than planting the cutting straight into the soil. Make the hole slightly larger than the stem diameter. Doing so will prevent rooting hormone from being wiped away when you embed the stem in the pot, and it's also gentler on the stem.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  8. Plant the Cutting in the Soil

    Carefully plant the cutting in the hole you made in the potting mix, and gently tamp the soil around it. You can fit several cuttings into one container, but space them so the leaves do not touch one another.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  9. Cover the Pot With Plastic

    Place the container with the cutting into a plastic bag. The bag will keep the humidity high and hold in heat. But don’t seal the bag completely because some airflow is necessary to prevent fungal rot.

    Keep the container in a warm spot in the house, ideally in an area that has indirect bright light. Don’t put the cutting in full sunlight until new leaves begin appearing along the stem.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

  10. Monitor the Cutting

    Until roots form, keep the soil slightly moist but not so wet that condensation forms on the inside of the plastic bag. Check regularly for signs of rot, and remove any suspect cuttings as soon as you spot trouble.

    After two to three weeks, begin checking for roots by tugging gently on the cutting. When you begin to feel resistance, it means roots have developed.  At this point, you can transplant the cutting into its own pot or the ground.

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

30 Plants That Grow From Cuttings in Soil

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Plant Propagation. University of Maine Extension.

Plant cuttings: several effective ways

Plant cuttings are also known as cloning. This propagation method assumes that some part is taken from the mother plant, for example, a leaf or a shoot. Further, this part is placed in a favorable environment, where it develops roots.

Cutting at home does not require large financial costs and has a number of advantages:

It seems to many inexperienced flower growers that it is enough to cut off the shoot, put it in water and wait for the roots to appear. But in such conditions, not every species can take root, often the cuttings simply rot. nine0003

To get strong and healthy plants through vegetative propagation, it is important to choose the right cutting, cut it correctly, and also avoid mistakes when planting it and in subsequent care.

Plant cuttings: methods

Before harvesting clones, it is worthwhile to understand in more detail how this is done for a particular species. Cuttings of indoor plants are carried out in three ways: using stems, leaves or roots. nine0003

You need to choose which part to take, starting from the variety. Unfortunately, some plants cannot be propagated in this way at all. But almost all species reproduce perfectly by stem cloning. Such a cutting will consist of a stem, buds and foliage. The clone will take root at the cut site, and new shoots will sprout from the buds.

Before the procedure, prepare suitable dishes and soil for rooting, as well as check the serviceability of all devices that you plan to use. You can keep the cuttings under lamps such as ESL or LL with a cold color spectrum (6500 K). The recommended light regime is 18/6. In the early stages of development, clones should not receive too much light, as this will become stressful for them. Therefore, if development takes place under the sun, choose a place for cuttings in the shade. nine0003

You should not cut off thin stems with scissors, although this seems to many to be the most convenient option, but in this way the cut point will be compressed, which injures plant tissues. As a result, the stalk, most likely, will begin to rot. It is better to cut the stems with a sharp knife or scalpel, and a pruner is suitable for stiff shoots.

It is important to cut cuttings only from completely healthy plants, and they should not be in the flowering phase. It is advisable to treat the cut site with a root growth activator, which will significantly speed up the process. nine0003

Plant cuttings: workflow

The process of cutting or cloning your green pets is done in this order:

  1. We sterilize a knife, scalpel or secateurs, that is, those tools that will be in direct contact with the cuttings.
  2. We prepare the growing medium: you can take mineral wool, moisten it with a buffer solution (this will help remove excess alkali from this material) and squeeze it out slightly to prevent excess nutrients. nine0008
  3. Select a donor. The mother plant should not be sick or blooming.
  4. Cut a side branch with at least three internodes.
  5. Use the scalpel to prepare the clones. So, you need to remove the bottom pair of leaves to avoid decay, and just below the last internode, a cut is made at an angle of 45.
  6. If the plant has large foliage, it is worth trimming the leaf blades by a third or half. This is done so that too much moisture does not evaporate through them. In addition, too large leaves may wither in the first days after planting. nine0008
  7. Cut cuttings should not be immediately sent to water or soil, most plants need clones to lie down for a couple of hours in the open air. Or you can put a fresh cut in a rooting powder or gel like Hesi Clonfix, Clonex or MaxiClon.
  8. Immerse the clone in the prepared medium, for this a hole is made, in which the cutting should be placed approximately one third. In addition to mineral wool, you can take the Root Riot cube.
    9. nine0007 A heated mat or a transparent cap that covers the cuttings helps to increase the success of the process. This is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature (21-25°C) and humidity level (80-90%).
  9. Spray the clones daily with water or foliar application, and irrigate the media with a nutrient solution of EC 0.3-0.8 (about a third of the standard dosage). It is important to avoid overflows and immediately remove rotten leaves.

Usually, the first roots hatch after a week and a half, which depends on the type and variety of the plant. After their appearance, you need to gradually "accustom" clones to future conditions. However, sudden changes in temperature, humidity, amount of lighting and nutrients should not be allowed, otherwise the cuttings may die. nine0003

If we talk about the optimal moment for harvesting clones, then the lunar calendar for cutting plants will come to the rescue. The most favorable time for this procedure is at the junction between the first and second phases of the moon, that is, from 6 to 9 lunar days.

How to root cuttings?

In addition to all the tips above. It is worth remembering the following rules for cutting plants:

Beginners often think that rooting in the substrate is more difficult than in water, but this is not the case. The cuttings are simply placed in recesses previously made with a small spatula or stick, cut down. It is important not to compact the soil or place the clones too close together. Next, a small watering is carried out and a cap is installed. nine0003

As for top dressing, its amount should be increased gradually until it reaches the dosage, as in the vegetative stage. It is also necessary to remove the cap for about half an hour 1-2 times a day. Later, the cuttings should be kept open longer and more frequently until they are ready to be transplanted.

Water rooting

First you need to take any plastic or glassware of small sizes. A glass of dark glass is best: in this case, the roots form faster. The stems are placed in such a way that the lower part does not sink too deep, because the roots appear precisely at the border of air and water. nine0003

By the way, it is not necessary to take boiled water for rooting cuttings; regular tap water is also suitable. Boiling is supposedly necessary for disinfection, but, in fact, microorganisms enter the liquid immediately after the cutting is placed in it. There are also more than enough germs in the air.

The main rule here is not to change the water under the cuttings completely, but only top it up if necessary. Often the cuttings die immediately after changing the water. This is due to the fact that a stable environment is formed from the waste products of the plant in a glass, which contributes to the development of roots. The best thing you can do to prevent rot is to throw activated charcoal into a glass. nine0003

It is not recommended to place more than two cuttings in one container. The more capricious the plant is, the fewer stems should be in one glass. As a rule, it is worth starting to rot one cutting, and the rest die.

Roses from cuttings

Home » What we do » Full-text articles and lectures » Zorina E.V. » Roses from cuttings

Published in : JOURNAL "Flower" No. 6 (May-June) 2007. P. 14.

Southern Primorye”, which described in detail the technology of this method of reproduction in local conditions. Indeed, here, without the use of special fogging installations (necessary for rooting cuttings in the European part of Russia), it is quite possible to root up to 80-9 days in 40-50 days.0% garden rose cuttings.

Reproduction can be carried out both in greenhouses and (if there is a greenhouse) in open ground. The optimal period for cuttings is the first wave of flowering, when it is possible to cut still green cuttings that are in the initial stage of lignification. It was at this time that the shoots take root very well and their further cultivation does not present great difficulties: the pots are placed in a bright greenhouse at a temperature of plus 5 ° C and above. nine0003

By spring, the seedlings have a well-developed root system and aerial part, so the roses are completely ready for planting in protected or open ground.

However, since amateur flower growers in the southern Primorye do not always have heated greenhouses, they sometimes have certain difficulties, so I would like to give them some advice to help grow excellent roses.

If cuttings are carried out in greenhouses in the first half of June, then in early August, rooted plants are usually ready for planting. Roses are transplanted into 0.5-1 liter pots (left in cuttings, most likely, they will die in winter), this ensures a good development of the root system. nine0003

If possible, it is better to keep seedlings in unheated greenhouses or hotbeds before the onset of stable frosts. In the first half of November, it is necessary to make an equalizing pruning (this does not apply to seedlings of Semi-climbing and Climbing roses), leaving shoots 15-20 cm high, then put the pots in the basement (plus 2-5 °) for winter storage.

During this period, it is very important not to allow waterlogging or drying out of the earthen clod, otherwise a large loss of plants is possible. nine0003

At the end of March - the first half of April, the seedlings are transferred to a bright warm room, moderately watered, the etiolated shoots formed in the dark are not cut off. In the early days, it is worth shading the roses from direct sunlight with a covering material.

With the onset of a steady warming, still immature plants begin to harden very carefully, protecting them from drafts, strong winds and bright sun.

In the second half of May-beginning of June, young well-developed specimens can be planted in a permanent place, in fertile soil, and weak bushes are best left for another season in pots. nine0003

In the first growing season, own-rooted seedlings need special attention. It is necessary to create conditions for good rooting and ensure high agricultural technology (timely top dressing, watering, weeding, treatment from pests and diseases).

Formation of bushes begins after the appearance of renewal shoots. Buds on young stems can not be removed, and when they reach the size of a pea, the shoot is broken or bent to the ground. This stimulates the formation of replacement shoots in the lower part of the bush. nine0003

In the second half of summer and early autumn, strong bushes are allowed to bloom, after which the flowers with part of the shoot up to the first cinquefoil are immediately removed. Thanks to this, a well-formed bush of 2-3 strong branches is obtained.

For winter, plants are piled up with earth, pruning (except for Semi-Climbing and Climbing roses) is carried out in early November, leaving shoots 15-20 cm long, then covered with a dry leaf, put a frame and cover with plastic wrap.

In the spring we remove the shelter in stages: at the end of March we raise the polyethylene from the sides, and in the first half of April we remove it completely, we remove the dry leaves gradually over 1-2 weeks, focusing on the complete thawing of the soil. nine0003

Such agro-technique for growing own-rooted garden roses of various groups (Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, Grandiflora, Polyanthus, Climbing, Miniature) can be applied in the first two years. In the future, the bushes are formed in accordance with the requirements for certain groups.

Thus, in the conditions of southern Primorye it is quite possible to create a magnificent rose garden from own-rooted seedlings grown by one's own hands.

In the Botanical Garden-Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Vladivostok) since 19For 94 years, the possibility of reusing greenhouse roses in the open field was studied, varieties suitable for cutting were selected.

Learn more