Introduction to cuttings - including stem, root and leaf cuttings.
Taking cuttings from various parts of well-established plants and cultivating them in order to produce a new plant is fast becoming the most popular propagation method, even overtaking that of raising new plants from seeds.
This method, also known as striking or cloning, is extremely inexpensive, as there is no need to purchase seeds, and not to mention highly rewarding when the fruits of your labour are a success.
This method, also known as striking or cloning, is extremely inexpensive, as there is no need to purchase seeds, and not to mention highly rewarding when the fruits of your labour are a success.
As a gardener's confidence in his abilities grows, the natural progression regarding gardening tasks is often to begin to produce some of his stock from his own plants. Gardeners can also swap cuttings with each other, therefore introducing new plants and creating a wider range of species in their garden at no extra cost.
Raising plants in this way is often chosen as a preference to other methods due to practical purposes, such as if a plant is difficult to grow from seed or is not available in this medium.
When raising new plants from seed the new plant will resemble the parent plant but will have its own characteristics; however, with cuttings, each new plant produced is identical to the mother plant.
All of the cuttings discussed below require various conditions to reproduce successfully, which is covered in our guide to successful propagation with cuttings. We also have extensive guides to the different types of cuttings in our propagation section.
Raising plants in this way is often chosen as a preference to other methods due to practical purposes, such as if a plant is difficult to grow from seed or is not available in this medium.
When raising new plants from seed the new plant will resemble the parent plant but will have its own characteristics; however, with cuttings, each new plant produced is identical to the mother plant.
All of the cuttings discussed below require various conditions to reproduce successfully, which is covered in our guide to successful propagation with cuttings. We also have extensive guides to the different types of cuttings in our propagation section.
Types of plants best grown from cuttings
Not all types of plant should be produced from cuttings, as this is not always the easiest or most effective method. However, those that fare well are perennials, alpine plants, hardy herbs and many shrubs, which are either difficult to grow from seed or which take a particularly long time to germinate and grow through this method. If employing the cuttings method, the plants generally root and begin to grow within a few weeks.
Stem cuttings
A stem cutting is a piece of stem that has been removed from the parent plant that is used to create an identical plant through rooting. The cutting will either include the tip, or if not, it will include one or more nodes. Samples are mostly always taken from side shoots and rarely from the main stem.
Types of stem cuttings
Stem cuttings are generally divided into three categories, basically depending on the season of the year in which the cuttings are taken.
Softwood cuttings
Softwood cuttings are taken right at the beginning of the current growth season, usually from early spring right the way through to the middle of summer.
They typically consist of very young, unripe side shoots of soft and immature material.
Plants and shrubs propagated from softwood cuttings include violas, chrysanthemums, fuchsias, pelargoniums, delphiniums, impatiens and tradescantias.
They typically consist of very young, unripe side shoots of soft and immature material.
Plants and shrubs propagated from softwood cuttings include violas, chrysanthemums, fuchsias, pelargoniums, delphiniums, impatiens and tradescantias.
Half-ripe cuttings
Half-ripe or semi-ripe cuttings are also taken from the current season's growth, yet they are taken later on in the year when the side shoots are well developed and have changed colour slightly, although they are still not yet fully ripened. Half-ripe cuttings are taken from mid-summer through until autumn.
Plants propagated in this way include many evergreen shrubs, as well as roses, conifers and clematis.
Plants propagated in this way include many evergreen shrubs, as well as roses, conifers and clematis.
Hardwood cuttings
Hardwood cuttings are taken from autumn through to winter and consist of fully ripened, woody plants. Hardwood cuttings are typically used for many deciduous trees, when the cuttings are taken after the leaves have fallen, and soft fruit shrubs such as blackcurrants and gooseberries.
Root cuttings
Roots or sections of root can also be used to propagate new plants that tend not to root well through stem cuttings. The roots or root sections are stood upright in a pot of sandy compost, but unlike stem cuttings, they are covered with soil.
Root cuttings are taken when the plant is dormant and not in active growth, when it can be lifted from the ground and a cutting can be taken, usually between October and March. New shoots will develop underground before emerging from the soil in spring.
Plants propagated using the root cutting method include the Oriental poppy, gaillardia, gypsophila, white coneflower and garden anchusa.
Root cuttings are taken when the plant is dormant and not in active growth, when it can be lifted from the ground and a cutting can be taken, usually between October and March. New shoots will develop underground before emerging from the soil in spring.
Plants propagated using the root cutting method include the Oriental poppy, gaillardia, gypsophila, white coneflower and garden anchusa.
Leaf cuttings
This method of propagation is not as popular as the stem or root cutting method but it does work very well with some plants including the Begonia rex, gloxinias, African violet, camellias and cape primroses.
When using leaf cuttings, new roots will form when the veins on the underside of the leaf are sliced and the leaf is flatly secured to the surface of moist compost in a pot or container. An alternative way is to bury just the stalk of the leaf, with the leaf attached, in a peaty compost so that roots form at the base of the stalk.
When using leaf cuttings, new roots will form when the veins on the underside of the leaf are sliced and the leaf is flatly secured to the surface of moist compost in a pot or container. An alternative way is to bury just the stalk of the leaf, with the leaf attached, in a peaty compost so that roots form at the base of the stalk.
