Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How important is the type of plant cutting? If you for example, take a hardwood cutting when it should be a semi-ripe cutting, would the plant still grow?
If you dip the ends in rooting powder and harden them off before you put them in the ground they should all be fine.
To truthfully answer your question; Yes - No - Maybe
I'm one of those gardeners that do not like to discard cuttings of any kind so I keep good planting medium waiting in pots, 'just in case' I do some unexpected pruning.
I keep my rooting powder container in my pocket at all times.
I keep a large container of water ready so I can place cuttings in water until I have time to finish preparing for potting soil.
I have grown beautiful plants from all sorts of cuttings without ever checking to see what type of cutting grows best from that plant.
I do not advocate doing this but it's just easier for me and if I only get 2 good plants from 8 cuttings that suits me.
I do place my cuttings in separate containers so I know which is which when the plants start growing.
There are lots of plants that can be started/grown in water but I like using my potting soil.
Here are a couple of links that I keep handy just in case I'm looking for particular information about cuttings.
content.ces.ncsu.edu/
www.ugaoo.com/
I had some photos to show but cannot get the image loader to work.
There is the following rules:
softwood cuttings are taken from soft, young plant stems, usually in spring to early summer;
semi-hardwood cuttings are taken from stems that are not too young and also not too old, and usually in late summer to fall;
hardwood cuttings are taken from mature, dormant stems of trees, shrubs and climbers that do not bend easily, in mid-autumn all through winter (avoiding times of severe frost) or early spring while the plant is still dormant.
It is best to follow these rules if you want to successfully propagate plants.
Hardwood cuttings are a simple way to multiply plants.
Suitable plants for hardwood cuttings include most deciduous shrubs (abelia, buddleja, cornus, forsythia, ribes, rosa, viburnum and more), climbers (lonicera, jasminum), fruit (currants, fig, gooseberries) and some trees
www.hillier.co.uk/
I think these links will be useful to you:
www.purdue.edu/
www.ugaoo.com/
deepgreenpermaculture.com/
deepgreenpermaculture.com/
If you take a hardwood cutting when it should be a semi-ripe cutting, then the probability of successful propagation of the plant is low.
Also, I would advise you to first check whether a particular plant can be propagated using a cutting.
What steps should I take for preparing my cuttings before dipping them into rooting compound?
By Glenn
Check out these photos.
My friend asked me for clippings from my garden and this is what she is getting. These succulents sit in a wooden box and floral foam oasis. The handle is foxtail fern and the succulents include aeoniums, kiwi, burro's tail, campfire, and many filler plants from my garden.
This is a page about making a plastic bottle propagator. A plastic drink bottle can easily be converted into a mini greenhouse for small plants and cuttings. Save your next empty drink bottle and give it a try.
This is a page about rooting plants in water. Rooting your new plant cutting in water is a very effective method. Depending on your choice of container it can also be interesting to watch the roots develop.
Rooting cuttings is often done by creating a mini greenhouse using plastic bottles or wrap. This method will work, but too much humidity can be harmful to the cuttings, thus requiring wiping to remove excess moisture.
Sharing plant cuttings with friends and family is easy. Follow the instructions on this page describing how to ship plant cuttings using a wet paper towel, plastic wrap, and a rubber band.
Using floral foam you can create an environment to root a variety of plants from cuttings. Here you can learn to easily root flower and tree cuttings.
This is a page about rooting impatiens cuttings. One way to save money on garden plants is to divide up your plant purchase by preparing cutting from the main plant.
Make these cute and inexpensive ornament bulb propagation planters to give as gifts or simply to decorate your desk, bathroom, or home.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Tips for starting plants from cuttings. Post your ideas.