Cutting (plant)

A piece of the stem or root of the source plant is placed in a suitable medium such as moist soil.

This is especially economically advantageous as it allows commercial growers to clone a certain plant to ensure consistency throughout their crops.

Succulents have evolved with the ability to use adventitious root formation in reproduction to increase fitness in stressful environments.

[6] Epigenetic memory is heritable through mitosis, and thus advantageous stress response priming is retained in plantlets from excised stem.

At a molecular level when a cutting is first excised at the stem there is an immediate increase in jasmonic acid, known to be necessary for adventitious root formation.

[10] Identification of this hormone has been important to industries that rely on vegetative propagation,[7] as it is sometimes applied to fresh cuttings to stimulate root growth.

A number of media are used in this process, including but not limited to soil, perlite, vermiculite, coir, rock wool, expanded clay pellets, and even water given the right conditions.

Certain conditions lead to more favorable outcomes for cuttings; timing, size, location on the plant, and amount of foliage are all important.

Following the initial watering, the aim is to keep the soil moist but not wet or waterlogged; the medium is allowed to almost dry out before misting again.

[19] The extract obtained from the crushing of leaves and bulbs of coco-grass (Cyperus rotundus) is used as an excellent rooting of cuttings and seedlings of various plant species.

[20][21] Honey, though it does not contain any plant hormones, can also aid in rooting success through its natural antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Intensifying light allows cuttings to root and sprout faster, though the heat thus generated could cause the propagation material distress.

[29] Azalea cuttings can be mildly heated in water to disinfect it from the fungus pathogen Rhizoctonia, and this could potentially be used for other plants.

[30] Depending on the type of cutting (i.e. tree, shrub, succulent, cacti) different potting soil mixes can be used.

[35] Ventilating (manually or through automatic window openers) the greenhouse or cold frame can lower the air temperature.

[39] Some ways to accomplish this include using white wash, semi-white plastic, retractible shade curtains (which can be deployed if the sun temporarily pierces through), ... Optimum light levels are around 120 to 200 μmol/m2s at the first stage (sticking[32]).

[40][41] Most propagators find that 5 to 10 moles per day (i.e. observed using a Daily Light Integral sensor) will result in a consistent rooting and growth[31] Plants which can be propagated from stem, leaf and/or tip cuttings include:[42][failed verification – see discussion] To note, some plants listed above, such as Coleus, Maranta, Nerium and Golden Pothos, among others, may require water for them to root before they can be transplanted to soil.

A magnolia stem cutting has been coaxed to form new roots, and is now a complete plant.
Cutting from Coleus scutellarioides – after 14 days the roots are 6 cm long.
Softwood cuttings of elm ( Ulmus ) are kept under a water mist to prevent them from drying out while they form roots.
Cuttings from a variety of plants.
Ficus cuttings rooting in water
Scheme of appropriate type of stem cuttings according to season. [ 26 ] Key: eq.: equinox , sol.: solstice , HW: hardwood, SR: semi-ripe, SW: softwood.
A plastic cold frame with semi-white plastic, used to keep the cuttings humid and semi-shaded
Propagated by cuttings, Inch Plants can be moved easily as its stolons cling lightly to the ground.
Pelargonium x hortorum ( garden geraniums ) are propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Nerium can readily root after being placed in water or in compost.
Snake plants are propagated by leaf cuttings or by dividing the rhizome (variegated plants will keep their yellow edges only by division).
The common grapevine is propagated from a shoot taken from a mother vine.