Rooting plant cuttings is one of the simpler techniques and you need not be an expert horticulturist to try it. A few quick tips from the professionals will teach you how to start plants from cuttings. The process of starting plant cuttings is very straightforward and only requires a good medium, clean and sharp cutting implement, and perhaps a rooting hormone to help jump-start root growth.
In this article we’ve got this quick reference for some of the easiest plants that only require cutting and some water to make a new start.
Types of Cuttings
The time cutting is taken depends upon what type of plant you are propagating. Most plants will root well from a softwood cutting, which is this season’s new growth. It hasn’t had time to harden and the interior cells are very active and generally easy to reproduce.
Semi-softwood cuttings are taken in summer when the new growth is nearly mature and hardwood cuttings are very mature material and generally quite woody.
Rooting a plant from cutting can be as simple as a leaf or several inches long with numerous growth nodes and full foliage.
Pothos
The cutting should be about 5 inches long or so and there should be nodules under the water in the jar or vase since this is where the roots will grow from.
Wandering Jew
You’ll want to make sure that at least one nodule or leaf joint is below the water when you propagate zebrina pendula in water. The nice thing about this plant is that its long gangly stems are great for making cuttings from!
Papyrus
Being a plant that grows in and near water it’s no surprise that papyrus cuttings thrive when placed in water. The trick with these guys is that the head of the cutting goes into the water! Roots develop quite quickly.
English Ivy
Vines are often very easy to propagate since they love to climb and wander and English ivy is no different. Place cuttings in only a few inches of water in a northern-facing window or indirect sunlight. In a few weeks you should see roots appearing in the water and then you can plant in soil.
Most Succulents
Most succulents are quite easy to start with only water. Succulents need to be dry for a bit for the cutting wound to callus over before being placed into water, though.