To get at least one new plant from the cuttings, the gardener is always reinsured and tries to root many shoots at once. Some rot, others dry up, and only the strongest give roots and start growing. Successful rooting of a cutting depends on many factors: on the plant’s ability to propagate vegetatively, on the age of the mother plant, on adherence to the rooting rules, as well as on how the cutting itself was prepared. It turns out that the location of the cut, the time of the cut, the method of cut, and the choice of the shoot play an important role in indoor plant cutting.
Well, let’s figure out when and where to cut plants to propagate.
Indoor Plants Cutting
Choosing shoots for cutting cuttings
First of all, you need to decide on the plant from which we plan to get cuttings. Of course, if we have only one bush on our site, say, honeysuckle, which we would like to propagate, there will be no choice. But if possible, then we pay attention to the age of the future mother plant. This is especially important for crops that are difficult to root. The younger the plant, the easier its shoots take root. Cuttings from an annual apple or pear tree give roots without problems, at the same time, it is far from always possible to root the cutting of an old apple tree, even with the use of root formation stimulants.
Some plants completely lose their ability to reproduce by cuttings or layering with age. For example, hydrangea.
When you have decided on the plant, it is a good idea to provide it with proper nutrition. A starving plant is not suitable for propagation by cuttings. So that later the cuttings take root better, the “uterus” can be fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizing. But it is better to wait for a little with nitrogen, excess nitrogen encourages the plant to fatten, to give out many vertical shoots good cuttings do not work out of such good cuttings.
The figure shows the best option for cutting the shoot for cuttings (in the case of propagation by semi-lignified or lignified cuttings). Cuttings are best rooted from lateral, not too strong growing branches. Moreover, cuttings taken closer to the base of a branch are more likely to grow roots than those taken from the top.
See also Mulch Types Advantages And Disadvantages.
different types of stem cutting and when to cut them
Three types of cuttings are used for reproduction: green, semi-lignified and lignified.
Green cuttings are the unripe growth of the current year with leaves, usually located at the very end of the branch. Such cuttings are cut from early to mid-summer, it is important not to be late because then the green cuttings begin to grow stiff. Green cuttings begin to root immediately after being cut.
Semi-lignified cuttings are the same young shoots of the current year, only more mature, which have managed to partially acquire bark. These cuttings usually have leaves. They are cut at the very end of summer, they must contain at least three eyes and be from 7 to 15 centimeters in length. Semi-lignified cuttings are also rooted immediately after cutting, very often they are planted in a pot and try to get roots at home, over the winter, in order to plant a young plant in the ground in spring.
Lignified cuttings are annual shoots that have grown throughout the season and are fully ripe. Such cuttings are harvested during the dormant period of plants (late autumn or early spring before bud break), leaving 3-5 nodes with buds. The optimal length of such a cutting is 25-30 centimeters. These cuttings can be stored in wet sand until spring and rooted in the new season.
where to cut plants to propagate
The simplest and most obvious rule for harvesting any cuttings: we cut them from a healthy shoot with a very sharp knife. If necessary, trim the cut so that there are no clues and moss. Any cuttings are best harvested early in the morning when there is more moisture in the plants. Cuttings cut in the afternoon or in the evening are kept in water for an hour before planting and the cut is renewed with a sharp knife.
In the first case, the cut is made directly under the kidney. This is the best way to cut green cuttings because the tissues of the stem under the knot are less prone to fungal diseases and rot.
In the second case, the shoot is cut in internodes. This method is typical for harvesting partially or completely lignified cuttings.
Leaves on cuttings are usually removed or cut in half since the large surface of the leaf evaporates a lot of moisture, and the cuttings need moisture desperately. However, there is another popular way of cutting cuttings, which can be roughly called a “leaf with one bud”. Such cuttings are cut from any kind of shoots green, semi-lignified, and lignified. It looks something like this:
The uppercut of such a cutting is made as close to the kidney as possible, and here it is advisable to do without hemp. The bottom cut is made 3-4 centimeters from the top. Thus, each cutting consists of a very short stem, one leaf (all excess leaves must be removed), and one bud in the leaf axil.
Check out best temperature for indoor plants.
The success of vegetative propagation by cuttings depends on many factors, not least on the gardener’s knowledge of the correct technology. We hope that the survival rate of your cuttings will increase from year to year.
We wish you success and big harvests!
