It may seem complicated, but making cuttings from your plants is surprisingly easy and quickly creates a lot of extra greenery around the home.
You’ll need:
- Pruning shears
- A sharp blade
- Pots or containers
- Cutting soil
Here’s how you do it:
- Take cuttings from the plant
You can take cuttings from different parts of a plant. You can take a tip cutting, where you only remove the upper part of a shoot from the plant. You can also opt for the stem cutting. For this, you don’t use the end of the shoot, but a bit from the middle. For both ways it is important to cut a piece of a young (and healthy) shoot, so that you have the best chance of good growth. - Cutting off the shoots
You can make multiple cuttings from one shoot. Cut off the entire stem, and then divide into pieces ranging from between five and ten centimeters. Make sure to always cut just under a leaf or bud. Use a sharp knife for this (you will cut the shoot all the way through). Next, remove the lower leaves, making sure that at least two pairs of leaves remain at the top. If you are making only tip cuttings, be sure not to damage the mother plant too much. - Choose the right soil
If you are going to plant a cutting, it is important to choose the correct potting soil. Normal potting soil is not always the best because it retains a lot of moisture, and cuttings need well-drained soil. You can often find special cutting soil mix at the garden center. - Planting your cutting
You can plant the cuttings in different pots. Choose a large container, for example, or a small flowerpot. Fill the container with cutting soil mix and make sure you don’t place the cuttings too close together. A minimum distance of 5 centimeters is recommended. - Watering
Make sure that the soil in which your cuttings are planted stays moist. But, also be sure that you do not give them too much water, as they will drown – three times a week should be enough. Furthermore, don’t place the containers in direct sunlight. - Checking the cuttings
Check the cuttings after four to five weeks. Carefully lift them out of the pot to see if a small root ball has formed. If so, the plants are now strong enough to transplant into their permanent pot. If the roots are not large enough yet, put them back in the soil for a little longer.
Text Bente van de Wouw Translation Julia Gorodecky Photography Leonardo Iheme/Unsplash.com
Find all our current promotions, discount codes and sale here
