How to grow Plants with Cuttings
Cuttings?
If you weren’t aware already, we have started offering cuttings on our site! And if you’re unfamiliar with cuttings, no worries, this entire blog post is dedicated to cuttings- what are they? Why are they so great? And most importantly- how to plant cuttings?.
What are cuttings?
The textbook definition of a cutting is “A plant cutting is a piece of a plant that is used in horticulture for vegetative propagation.” (wikipedia). Let us simplify it for you- a cutting is usually a leaf, sometimes it could be a branch like in the case of fiddle leaf plants, with a node (a node is a little bump from which leaves grow but when planted, it grows roots therefore always cut below the node).
Why are they so great?
Since cutting is a singular leaf with a node, the pricing is a whole lot lower. For example our Pothos Neon plant in 4” pot retail for $11.99 but a 5-pack cutting of the same plant will run you only $4.99, the catch here being the work you will have to put behind growing the leaf into a plant. It's a long process but rewarding one, what’s the hurry anyways?
Save money
EXERCISE YOUR GREEN-THUMB
FEEL REWARDED AT THE END
How to plant cuttings?
There are many different methods on how you can propagate your cuttings, the method that we recommend is the water rooting then planting method, we’ve had more success with this method compared to planting cuttings directly in soil method.
Water Propagation Method.
Tools Need
- Plain water; preferably filtered over tap since the quality of water vary according to location.
- Old jars big enough to hold water + cutting, or if you have a fancy propagation station then bust them out!
- Planter
- Potting soil
Steps
1. Fill your jar with plain water and place the cutting in the jar, the tip of the cutting should be fully submerged in the water but no leaf should be touching the water.
2. Wait..
3. .and wait.., maybe top up or change the water if it gets yucky.
4. Till you start seeing white roots form, when the roots get to be about ½” long, your cutting is ready for planting!
5. Get your planter ready with the potting soil, carefully remove the cutting with white roots from the water, and plant your new plant!
Direct Soil Method
Tools Need
- Planter
- Potting soil
- Water
Optional
- Root Hormone
Steps
1. Carefully unwrap your new cuttings and dip the roots into root hormones.
2. Set cuttings in flats of sterile potting mix, then water your plant.
3. Thats it.
There are many different methods on how you can propagate your cuttings, the method that we recommend is the water rooting then planting method, we’ve had more success with this method compared to planting cuttings directly in soil method.
Extra Tips & Facts
- Our cuttings come wrapped in newspaper since the zinc from the ink helps keep the cutting healthy.
- Do not leave your plant to propagate in the water for too long, leaving the roots in the water will cause water-root, aka- you won’t be able to plant it in soil again.