How To Grow A New Plant From Cuttings
Growing a new plant from cuttings is a very satisfying experience.
Not only do you get to witness the miracle of nature, but you also acquire new plants for free that you can either keep to grow your own collection, or share with friends to spread joy.
There is a disclosure here. If you intend to sell your rooted cuttings, (propagations), you need to be cautious.
While all houseplants can be propagated for personal purposes, selling them is a different story.
In fact, certain plant labels come with warnings like: “propagation strictly forbidden”, or “propagation prohibited”. That’s because those plants are patented by the plant breeder, and it is illegal to propagate and sell clearly labeled patented plants!
Rooting plant cuttings is quite easy.
Read on to find out how to properly do it!
can you put cuttings straight in soil?
Yes, you can.
However, it is hard to do it indoors as maintaining the proper balance of soil moisture, air flow, humidity and drainage can be challenging.
If you do want to put your cuttings directly in soil, it is important to prepare them correctly;
- First of all, you need to cut the stems between the nodes, which are those protrusions along the stems. You can often see tiny roots forming there, or leaves attached to them. Always use sharp pruning snips when cutting your stems. Clean cuts are critical for the success of your propagations.
- Then, you need to gently remove a few leaves along those nodes without damaging the stems.
Once your cuttings are ready, follow these steps to root them in soil*;
- You can dip your cuttings into a rooting hormone to increase the chances of your cuttings taking roots. Rooting hormones are chemicals that help stimulate root growth and prevent rotting. However, if you don’t want to introduce chemicals into your greens, you can try a natural alternative like honey. Honey is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Alternatively, you can choose not to use anything. Your best chances of success with propagating cuttings directly in soil is to use many cuttings.
- Fill a container with soil-less mix*, which is a much cleaner medium than your garden soil, or even your multipurpose store bought soil. Soil-less mixes are free of pests, diseases, and other contaminants that might compromise your soft and vulnerable cuttings. You can either make your own soil-less mix by combining; 2 parts compost, 3 parts sphagnum peat moss, 1 part vermiculite and 1 part perlite, or you can buy pre-made mixes online.
- Water the soil before placing your cuttings in it.
- Place your cuttings near the edge of the pot, 2″ apart form one another. Remember, the more cuttings you use, the higher the chances of success. Planting the cuttings near the edge of the pot will encourage the roots to grow against the pot surface. By doing that, the roots will be “forced” to break into smaller rootlets.
- Water the cuttings in the pot.
- Don’t allow the soil to ever dry out!
- To maintain high levels of moisture, place a transparent plastic bag over your pot, like a ziplock bag that can stand upright on its own. You can place some support stick in the pot to allow the bag to stand straight.
- It will take the cuttings anywhere between two and three weeks to grow roots, depending on the plant species you have pruned. You’ll know the roots have formed when you see new tips growing on your cuttings.
is it better to root cuttings in water or soil?
The absolute answer is: soil.
The advantage of placing plant cuttings into a soil-less mix is that such a mixture drains well while providing oxygen to the stems and forming roots. It also supplies moisture without causing the stems to rot.
Plant cuttings that have developed roots in soil-less mix will also avoid the shock of transitioning from water to soil.
However, in life, we are never dealing with absolutes, only relatives.
I am afraid there is no definite answer to this question. It depends.
I can tell you that placing cuttings into a soil-less mix will develop better roots. Nevertheless, as we determined in the previous section, it is harder to root cuttings into soil indoors.
Whether is it better to root cuttings in water or soil is relative to the plant species you are dealing with.
Almost any plant can root in water; some root well, while others drown. I have seen it myself!
The Jade Plant is the perfect plant to root directly in soil.
Personally, for all other plant cuttings I’ve had, I rooted them in water.
Which plant cuttings root well in water?
- Flowering Plants; (African Violets, Geraniums, Spider Plants, etc..)
- Arums; (Pothos, Philodendrons, Anthuriums, Monsteras, etc..)
- Houseplants; (Lucky Bamboo, Silver Inch Plant, Pilea)
I rooted this Echeveria Elegans by placing its cutting in water. As with the majority of succulents, their stems need to form a callous, (dry out for 3 days), before being placed in water to root; otherwise, the stem will rot.
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.
how do I grow more plants from cuttings in water?
Growing plant cuttings in water is quite simple.
All you need is a glass jar. It can be any jar, from a empty jam jar to a candle jar to a drinking glass.
The thrift store has a million options if you want to get fancier.
I like to collect glass jars of all sizes and shapes for this purpose!
Similarly to the cuttings you’d place directly in soil, it is important to prepare the proper cuttings and know where to cut the stems.
See the pictures below for a visual explanation on “cutting between the nodes”.
When pruning your stems for the purpose of rooting the cuttings, it is important to know that the roots will grow from the nodes. The nodes are those protrusions along the stems where the leaves are attached and where you can either see tiny roots or aerial roots.
Make your cut between the nodes. This way, the cutting you are propagating will have a node growing roots, whether you do this in water or soil.
At the same time, the mother plant will grow a new stem or branch from the node you left behind. (See picture above)
This is to show that pruning is not only beneficial for obtaining plant cuttings for propagation. It is also an excellent way to fill in a leggy plant and promote new growth.
step by step rooting cuttings in water
STEP 1: Select the plant you want to propagate.
It is ideal if you can align the purpose of pruning with propagating plant cuttings!
In this case, my Marble Queen Pothos has an unusually long stem. I could choose to keep it long and create some unique displays with it, or I can prune it to divert the plant’s energy into new growth. I can then use the cuttings to root it in water.
STEP 2: Evaluate the length and quantity of your cuttings.
In this instance, my Pothos stem was rather long. Rather than cutting other stems, I divided the single lengthy stem into four separate cuttings.
It’s worth noting that the success rate of rooting cuttings in water is higher when working indoors than rooting them directly in soil. Therefore, you won’t need as many cuttings as you would as if you were placing them directly in soil.
STEP 3: Place your cuttings in water.
The great advantage of rooting your cuttings in water is that you can observe the roots as they begin to grow and appreciate their development.
I replace the water into the vessel every two weeks, but I top it up every time I notice the level getting lower. As the roots grow and develop, they will require more frequent water top-ups!
STEP 4: Check the development of your roots before planting in soil.
Different plant species grow roots at different rates. On average, it takes between two to three weeks for cuttings to begin to grow roots in water. From there, their root system will continue to develop.
It is important not to transfer your rooted cuttings from water to soil until the roots are between 2″-4″ long.
When transferring your cuttings into soil, keep in mind that it will be quite a shock for the entire plant to go from water to soil.
You will need to water this newly potted plant more frequently for the first couple of weeks until the roots have settled into the soil.
how long does it take for plant cuttings to root?
That will all depend on the plant cuttings you are rooting and whether you are rooting them in water or in soil, with o without rooting hormone.
On average, though, it takes between two to three weeks for the roots to begin forming, both in water and in soil. Some plant cuttings can be faster, while others may take longer.
As a reference, I have successfully rooted many Pothos cuttings in water, and I’ve seen the first roots forming within two weeks. On the other hand, when I tried rooting a broken ZZ Plant stem, it took a few months to show the first tiny roots.
stem cuttings examples
Here are some tried and true examples of my plant cuttings.
As you can see, the great majority of them have been rooted in water. I enjoy seeing the roots forming and developing, and I also love glass jars! They add a tasteful touch to my home styling.
Some of these plants can continue to grow and develop in water. I have a few Pothos growing in water. They are fascinating to have.
Fast-forward a year this Wax Plant has grown quite big!
I often prune the overly long Strings of Hearts to make the pot fuller. As you can see from the picture, SOH roots are formed from their tubers.
Rooting Monstera cuttings in water.
Fishbone Cactus pinching. This succulent’s nodes are at the tip of its “zig-zagged” leaves. You’ll notice tiny roots protruding between the end of a leaf and the beginning of a new one. This is where you can simply pinch them off .
As with many other succulents, you need to let the cuttings dry out for at least three days before you place them in water to root. The process of letting the cut drying out is called “forming the callous”
The Fishbone Cactus stems are now placed in water to root. It will take approximately three weeks before the roots will start to form.
Only when the roots are between 2″ and 4″ long, you can plant the cuttings in soil. You will need to water you newly planted cuttings more frequently to ease the transition from water to soil for the first couple of weeks.
Within two weeks, you’ll notice new roots forming and even new stems sprouting under water.
The Philodendron is another houseplant that can be rooted in water. Being a trailing plant, it is convenient to align pruning with propagating.
Philodendron cuttings form roots slower than other cuttings. Their stems are thinner than those of Pothos but fleshier than Hoyas, which makes them slightly more susceptible to rot.
To conclude, plant cuttings can be rooted directly in soil if properly prepared. However, it is much easier and more successful to root cuttings in water indoors. Many of the most common houseplant cuttings can be successfully rooted in water naturally, without the use of any rooting hormones.
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Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.