Tutorial with instructions for propagating cuttings

Propagation of cuttings in every season

The cutting of cuttings is in high season in early summer. Then there are many plants in the sap and the floral life pulsates right down to the tips of the shoots. Nevertheless, there is always the option of breeding with cuttings at any time of the year. The following table gives an overview of popular plant species:

Cuttings are young and not lignified

As a cuttings, the Branch section of a mother plant designated. Special cultivation techniques encourage the tiny to form their own roots and grow into a strong young plant. Herbaceous shoots are mainly used for this purpose. Half-lignified shoot pieces act as the ideal starting material for the propagation of woody plants. The annual pruning of Bushes and trees usually provides a large selection of potential cuttings with the clippings.

Optimal interface: under buds

Buds are the control centers in plant growth. They therefore play an important role in propagation by cuttings. Depending on the type of plant, the buds are obviously large or tiny, so that they are also called eyes are designated. Don't cut a cutting just anywhere, do this:

• Head cutting cut 3-5 mm below a bud or a pair of buds
• Partial cuttings from the middle section of the shoot cut above and below one eye

At leafed cuttings you don't have to look for buds for long. Here mark the Attachment points of the petioles the best position for the cut. A safety distance of a few millimeters prevents you from cutting into the vegetation point. The stub should not be longer than 5 to 10 mm up to the bud, otherwise the rooting process will be delayed or completely fail.

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Cambium activates rooting

Perfect length: at least one internode

The interface is just as important for an exemplary cutting as the correct length. The size and vigor of the mother plant largely determine the ideal size of the offshoot. Cuttings of a rock garden, like a cactus, Sedum plant or thyme are just under 2 centimeters, whereas wood cuttings reach a full 20 centimeters in length.

You can save yourself long guesswork about the perfect cutting length if you focus on the internodes. A Internodes marks the distance between two buds or leaves on a shoot. As a result, this section is bald or slightly hairy. In order for a cutting to grow, it must be at least one internode long. The respective plant species determines the optimal length. While a cactus cutting is satisfied with one internode, majestic shrubs benefit many times over from internodes.

Cut and process cuttings

Only rarely can a cutting be planted immediately after it has been cut. The pruning is followed by expert processing so that the roots and growth run smoothly. How to do it right:

• Take a clean cutting tool in one hand
• Stabilize the cutting with the other hand
• Count the required number of internodes
• Cut off at the lower end, a few millimeters below the bud or leaf
• Cut partial cuttings at the tip above the bud or leaf

Half or two thirds of a normal cutting is placed in potting soil. Leaves on this section will be removed because contact with the substrate could cause rot. At least one pair of leaves should be visible. Since the large leaves evaporate too much moisture on the small cuttings, they are cut in half.

Rooting powder

In the course of propagating cuttings, a long line of patience is required for a number of plant species until the roots finally begin. With a Rooting powder you can force the process. The preparation “Neudofix root activator” made from purely natural is well suited and approved for the home garden Algae lime. If you dip the cutting foot in the powder, the root growth is strongly stimulated.

Wound cut improves rooting

Some of the most beautiful flowering trees are sensitive to pruning and have a hard time with a fresh shoot, such as rhododendron and azalea. So that a cutting still has roots and thrives vigorously, a modified cut necessary. By inflicting a targeted wound on the chosen shoot, you get the growth going. That is how it goes:

• Cut the cuttings normally with a sufficient number of internodes
• Defoliate the lower area, halve the upper leaves
• Cut a 5-10 mm long and flat chip at the base of the cuttings opposite the bud

The aim of the wound is the formation of wound tissue, the so-called callus. This is dividing tissue that is actually responsible for wound healing. In numerous trees that are sensitive to cuts, callus tissue also stimulates the growth of new roots.

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Cut safely with a cutting knife

Special case of cuttings

The quiet, low-work winter time can be used productively for a variant of cuttings propagation. Simple flowering shrubs, like Butterfly lilac, Forsythia or weigela are the perfect candidates for propagation by cuttings.

After the autumn leaf fall, cut pencil-length shoot pieces with a bud on each end. Put each shoot deep into a loose, humus-rich substrate. Only the upper node should still be visible. New roots will form on every cuttings by spring.

frequently asked Questions

What is the main difference between the two methods of propagation, sowing and cuttings?

If you are using plants sowing multiply, it is the so-called generative method. The genetic makeup of the plants involved is recombined. As a result, seedlings differ more or less distinctly from their parent plants. The vegetative propagation by cuttings, on the other hand, gives you an exact copy of the mother plant. For this reason, most hobby gardeners favor the cuttings method to propagate shrubs, perennials and houseplants. Here an exact prognosis can be made as to which attributes the young plant is endowed with.

If in doubt, is a longer or a shorter cutting advantageous for the propagation process?

In gardening practice it has been proven to cut cuttings with two or more internodes. The longer the shoot section between two buds, the longer the cutting can be. At first glance, this results in a larger number of leaves with a correspondingly higher degree of evaporation and the threat of drought stress. In return, the cutting has more potential to produce the substances required for root formation.

I've heard that conifer cuttings are better torn off. How does it work?

Cuttings of thuja, fir, larch, juniper and other conifers should indeed be torn off, not cut off. The best time is from the beginning of August to the end of September. This year's, sufficiently lignified side shoots of a healthy, lignified main shoot are suitable. First cut off the main shoot about 5 mm below the side shoot. You then tear off the secondary shoot as the actual cutting with a jerk. A tiny bark tongue is created, which significantly improves rooting.

How can I see rooting without digging up a cutting?

When a cutting sprouts, the leaflets signal that the first roots have formed in the substrate. If you are still unsure, carefully pull on the root neck. If you feel a clear resistance, the cutting has its own root system. You can now remove a hood and apply a liquid fertilizer in half the concentration for the first time.

The 3 most common mistakes

A wrongly chosen interface puts an end to all hopes for the successful propagation of cuttings. Anyone who does not partially defoliate a leafy cuttings will struggle with rot in the substrate. Drought stress is inevitable when large leaves evaporate copious amounts of moisture. Here, explore the 3 most common mistakes in cutting cuttings with tips for prevention.

Tips

All efforts to achieve the perfect cut come to nothing if the cuttings dry out afterwards. Put a transparent cover over the growing pot or bowl. The local, humid and warm microclimate prevents your pupils from suffering from drought stress. Daily ventilation prevents the formation of mold.