Start with
healthy, actively growing plant stock:
Plants that are sick, weak, bug-infested or abused are already half-dead
and they can't be expected to supply successful cuttings. The reason is
that cuttings are cut off from their food supply and must draw on their
internal reserves to survive and grow new roots. The fact is, cuttings
will go downhill everyday until they have new roots and start to take
up nutrients. Clones from vigorous, healthy plants are much better equipped
to survive and grow roots than clones from problem plants.
Have everything
ready before taking cuttings:
For best results, cuttings should be planted immediately after being taken
from the stock plant. Ideally, you would take one cutting, plant it, water
it, then take one more cutting, and so on. In the real world, the stock
plants are often some distance from the propagation area. In this case,
cuttings should be put completely into a bucket of roomtemperature water
away from direct light while cuttings are being collected, then transported
to the cloning bench and planted as quickly as possible. Cuttings can
be planted quicker - with better success - when all necessary supplies
and equipment are in place at the propagation area before taking cuttings.
See the information sheet (at end of article) "Before You Cut"
first, and use the Propagation Supplies Checklist to gather everything
you need and organize your cloning area.
Early morning
is the best time to take cuttings.
During the dark period, plants build up their reserves of water in preparation
for the demands of the coming day. By mid-aftemoon, water loss from the
plant will create water stress in the plant tissues that you would like
to use for cutting material. Even a relatively minor water loss will interfere
with root development (of course, the terms "morning" and "afternoon"
refer to the plant's timetable-often different than the day outside!)
Take cuttings
about four inches long:
These cuttings are called "green wood" cuttings: the stem is
firm and sturdy, but still green in color. They root easily and have greater
survival potential for the average gardener than "'softwood"
cuttings. Softwood cuttings are best left to the experienced commercial
grower - they are smaller cuttings taken from the tips of the shoot, with
soft flexible stems. They can root quickly but die quickly too, if not
given very special care. Because hobby gardeners usually only need a limited
number of cuttings, we recommend "green wood" cuttings for our
gardeners.
Trim off bottom
leaves and shorten stem to just below a leaf node.
A leaf stem in soil or rockwool will rot -
it can't grow roots. To avoid introducing disease into propagation tray,
trim off any leaves near the bottom of the cutting. Cut the leaf stem
close to the main stem of the cutting. Leave just a tiny stub of the leaf
stem attached to the stem of the cutting.
Why? Roots will grow
from the node the stem - keeping a tiny stub of the leaf stem on the cutting
insures that you haven't damaged the node.
Never tear off the
leaf stem from the cutting - you create a long, ragged wound and a welcome
sign for disease. We remove some of the large lower leaves for another
good reason: the cutting has a limited ability to take up water, until
it grows roots. While some top growth is necessary for the cutting to
survive, too many leaves on the cutting place excess demands for water
on the stem of the cutting. When cuttings wilt badly, and large bottom
leaves on the cuttings die off, chances are good that you've left too
much foliage on your cuttings.
Dip stem of
cutting into rooting gel:
Coat all the stem that will be planted into the grow medium. The gel contains
hormones that encourage the cutting to grow roots. Our gel contain B vitamins,
which help reduce stress and wilting and keep the cutting healthy while
it roots. Gels coat the stem more completely than powders. If it was necessary
to dunk cuttings in a bucket of water, try to shake excess water from
the stems before dipping them into the gel. Water on the stems dilutes
the gel and reduces its effectiveness.
Plant stem
into grow medium:
Two points to consider here: we want the cutting planted securely without
damaging the stem. Once the cutting is planted into cubes or Jiffy
7's, hold the cube or Jiffy in your hand and gently move it to check
that the stem of the cutting is secure. Turn cubes upside down to check
that the cutting stem isn't sticking out the bottom. Cuttings that are
loose in their grow medium won't root.
BEFORE YOU
CUT...
Consider the future use of your stock plant. This will help you decide
which branches to use for your cuttings: If stock will grow on (under
18 hour lights), supplying more cuttings later
