Herbaceous Cuttings

Photo Courtesy of Pam Morrison, Photoimpact Users Gallery

Herbaceous Cuttings

I am sure you have noticed it, too. The cost of plants has skyrocketed in the past few years, along with just about everything else. I know that other gardeners I have spoken with are using less annuals in their gardens, and I am no different, either. But, there are times when annuals help carry a garden through its transitions and they are also the backbones of many of the containers and hanging baskets that we grow. On the other hand, perennials are becoming costlier, too. By taking cuttings, the gardener can help to defray some of the costs of gardening a bit.

While it might seem a bit intimidating at first glance, it helps to realize that a gardener has nothing to lose from trying this method of propagation, soft-stem or herbaceous cuttings. After all, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained", holds true. The worst that can happen is that the cuttings won't take hold, but there would be no damage to the source plants of the cuttings.

Late summer to early fall is an ideal time to take cuttings of favorite herbaceous plants, particularly of annuals and some perennials. Plants often need to be trimmed back this time of the year anyway, and their season will soon be over. So, it pays to take the gamble and use some of the clippings and prunings to start new plants to overwinter on the sunny windowsill or under plant lights.

Some plants are easier to root from cuttings than others, there's no doubt about it. In fact, some are so easy to root that a jar of water will entice them to send out roots, and they can then be potted-up to continue to grow on.

Other plants require a bit more precision for successful rooting. Still, most plants will root, and successfully, if we keep in mind how to treat the cuttings and how to care for them while they are rooting and thereafter.

While I still buy bedding plants, start seeds, and buy perennials, I try to multiply some of these plants by taking cuttings. By using this method, I am able to carry-over many of these wonderful plants from year to year. It does take a little effort, but the results are very rewarding.

Some things to keep in mind:

Always sterilize your tools before and after taking a cutting: Wipe the cutting tool with a 50:50 mix of household bleach or wipe with alcohol before and after cutting.

Take soft growth cuttings early in the morning.

Make sure your cuttings are from green growth, from non-flowering stems. Avoid stems that are starting to turn brown and hard, or are becoming, "woody".

Cut about a 5 or 6 inch portion of the plant for each cutting.

Take many cuttings of each plant to increase the odds of success.

Strip all the leaves off, and leave about 4 or so leaves only on the top.

Place your cuttings immediately in a pail of water to prevent the stems from sealing over with air or sap.

Once inside, re-cut the stems at a 45 degree angle, taking off an additional inch. Again, put prepared cuttings in a glass of water to prevent them from sealing over.

Selected Outdoor Perennials & Annuals Suitable For Soft Stem Cuttings:
Angelonia (summer petunia)
Bedding begonias (fibrous-rooted begonias)
Carnations
Cigar flower
Coleus
Cottage Pinks
Dahlias (one of the few from tubers that will also root from cuttings)
English Ivy
English Lavender
Fuschia
Geraniums
Herbs
Impatiens
Joseph's Coat
New Guinea Impatiens
Nierembergia
Osteospermums
Penstemon
Perovskia
Perennials, if not from rhizomes, bulbs, corms or tubers
Phlox
Polka Dot Plant
Rock Cress
Salvias
Sedum
Snow-In-Summer
Verbena
Veronica
Vinca

How to plant prepared cuttings:
--First, use a sterile rooting medium. A good blend would be one of the following recipes. Never use soil or any other medium that had already been used to grow plants"

Cutting Medium #1

50% Perlite
50% Peat Moss

Cutting Medium #2

Equal Parts Of:
Sand
Peat
Perlite

-Fill sterile containers with moistened, not dripping, plant medium. Make sure the containers have good drainage.

--Take the prepared cuttings from the water. You can dip them into a rooting stimulator, but that is up to you. Some plant cuttings root more easily than others.

--Place the cuttings into moistened planting medium, burying them almost to the point where you first encounter leaves.

--Make sure the planing medium is in good contact with the stems.

--Mist the cuttings, then place plastic wrap over the top, or place the containers into clear plastic bags to seal in moisture.

--Place the cuttings in bright light, but not in direct sunlight.

--Keep an eye on your cuttings. Don't allow them to dry out, but don't overwater or overmist.

--After a week or two, gently tug on one of the cuttings. If there is resistance, the plant has probably rooted. Gently remove to confirm this, and repot in individual pots filled with more sterile planting medium.

--If the cuttings aren't rooted yet and still look healthy, check periodically in a few more days to a week. Some plants take longer to root than others.

--Slowly acclimate your new plants to stronger light. A weak solution of organic plant food can be used after a week or so.

--While it is still warm, you can move your cuttings outdoors to a sheltered spot, then slowly acclimate them to stronger lighting conditions.

--Once they are indoors, keep them under plant lights to grow on. Repot as they outgrow their containers.

Alternatives to Rooting Hormones
Here are some alternatives to rooting hormones to help stimulate root growth, particularly on harder-to-root plants:

Honey Water Rooting Solution:

1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup boiling water

Confectioner's Sugar Powder:

Dust the freshly cut ends of stems with confectioner's sugar to help new cuttings root.

*~*~*~*~*~*
Propogating plants by taking and rooting herbaceous or soft-stem cuttings is satisfying and easy way for the gardener to become aquainted with rooting methods. It is also a practical way to get more, "Bang for the bucks". Try it, and increase your plant yields while gaining a new skill and saving some money!

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