Propagation by cuttings: all you need to know about the different techniques and our tips

When to propagate? Calendar

To succeed with cuttings, you must use right technique at right time, following this calendar :

• Herbaceous cuttings are taken in spring, usually in May–June, from young, tender green stems
• Semi-ripe cuttings are taken in mid to late summer, from July to late September,
• Hardwood cuttings are taken in late autumn and winter, between November and February
• Leaf cuttings can be made throughout the year, but most favourable times are spring and early summer
• Root cuttings are taken when plant is in dormancy, in late autumn and winter.

Propagating by cuttings: general guidance and preparatory advice

In any case, before taking cuttings, make sure to use clean, sharp tools to avoid transmitting diseases. Likewise, it is important to make clean cuts.

Choose stems (or leaves, roots…) healthy and well-formed, free from signs of disease. They must not bear flower buds, flowers or fruit (if so, remove them, as this diverts energy from the cutting, which must concentrate on root development rather than flowering or fruiting).

You can use a rooting plant hormone to encourage rooting. Simply dip base of cutting in rooting plant hormone.

It is important to use a well-draining, light, airy substrate. It can, for example, be made of potting compost and sand, or potting compost and perlite. If you use a substrate that is too heavy, compact and water-retentive, the cutting may rot.

Once propagation by cuttings is done, ensure substrate remains slightly moist (it must not dry out), but not waterlogged, and is placed in a bright position. Cuttings need warmth, humidity and light. They must be protected from cold and direct sunlight. Also avoid excess humidity, as this can cause them to rot.

Cuttings are often kept “in a humid environment”, by placing a plastic bottle or a plastic bag over them to maintain a moisture-saturated atmosphere.

Stem propagation by cuttings

This is the simplest, most common technique. Segments of about 10–15 cm in length are generally chosen (but this can vary depending on plant), and the plant is cut just below a node, then the stem is replanted in soil.

Herbaceous cuttings

Herbaceous cuttings are taken in spring, usually in May–June, from green, young tender stems. This is the most basic technique, allowing multiplication of many perennials. You can take cuttings from Pelargonium and hardy geraniums (notably G. macrorrhizum), asters, hybrid verbenas, clematis, penstemon, campanulas, salvias…

• Take a stem 10–15 cm long, cutting just below a node.
• Remove basal leaves, leaving only two or three at top of stem (if leaves are very large, you can trim them to reduce surface). Likewise, remove any flower buds, flowers or fruit.
• Prepare a pot with light potting compost. Water so it is moist.
• Optionally dip base of stem in rooting hormone.
• Make a small hole in compost using, for example, a pencil.
• Insert the stem, then firm compost all around to ensure good contact between stem and substrate.
• Place pot under cover in a bright spot, out of direct sun.
• You can place a clear plastic bag or a plastic bottle over the cutting to retain a humid atmosphere.

… then all that remains is to wait!

To take stem cuttings: 1/ Cut a stem just below a node. 2/ Remove basal leaves. 3/ Place cutting in compost. 4/ Ensure substrate remains slightly moist, watering from time to time.

Discover our video tips to propagate Pelargonium:

Semi-ripe cuttings

This technique is carried out in mid to late summer, around July–August, or even September. It is mainly used for shrubs and plants that are becoming woody (forming wood), by taking this-year shoots that have begun to firm up and lignify at the base. These are also called semi-ripe cuttings. Many shrubs can be propagated this way, including hibiscus, hydrangeas, euonymus, bignonia (trumpet vine), photinia, oleander, honeysuckle, privet, buddleia, abelia…

• Select stems that are still soft at the tip and a little woody at the base (firm, brown). Cut below a node to obtain segments of 10–15 cm. You can optionally take it with a heel, the base of the shoot from which it grows. If there are leaves on the lower part of the stem, remove them.
• Dip base of stem in rooting hormone.
• Plant it in a pot filled with light potting compost.
• Place the pot under cover in a bright spot out of direct sun. You can keep the cutting enclosed to maintain humidity.

Hardwood cuttings

This technique allows multiplication of trees and shrubs. It is carried out when plant is dormant and has lost its leaves, between November and February.

• We recommend starting by preparing the ground. Choose a spot sheltered from wind and direct sun (for example against a north-facing wall), then dig a trench and add some sand for drainage.
• Then cut cuttings 15–20 cm long, taken from current-year shoots that are well formed and free of disease. Cut the base on a slant just below a node; cut the top of the cutting above a node as well.
• Plant the cuttings in the trench (you can plant them individually, or group them in small bundles).
• Replace soil and firm all around.
• By late March you can transplant the cuttings into a nursery bed or pot them up.

Instead of planting cuttings out in ground, you can pot them up and place under a cold frame.

Discover our video tutorial and Olivier’s tips:

Propagation by cuttings of leaves

This technique is well suited to succulent plants with fleshy leaves (sedums, Kalanchoe, Crassula, Echeveria…), as well as many houseplants: Peperomia, Saintpaulia, Begonia rex, Sanseveria… Eucomis can also be propagated by leaf cuttings. It can be done throughout the year, but the most favourable times are spring and early summer.

• Prepare a pot by filling it with a light, free‑draining substrate (potting compost mixed with sand). Water.
• Take a leaf, keeping its petiole. Choose a young, healthy leaf free from pests and disease.
• Make a hole in the compost, and insert the petiole up to the base of the lamina.
• Firm the substrate well all around.
• Place the pot in a heated, sheltered spot at about 20 °C, out of direct sunlight.

To take leaf cuttings: remove a leaf by cutting its petiole at the base, then insert it into a well‑draining substrate.

For some plants, use only a leaf segment (Sanseveria, Eucomis, Begonia, Streptocarpus…), not the whole leaf with its petiole. Plant the segment vertically in the substrate.

For succulent plants, allow the leaf to dry for two or three days before potting.

Finally, for some plants (Begonia, Gloxinia…), you can make incisions on the underside of the leaf along the veins, then lay the leaf on the compost surface. The leaf should produce new roots at the incision sites.

Leaf cuttings work well on succulents. Here, an Echeveria setosa (stephen boisvert), and another Echeveria species producing plantlets at the base of a leaf.

Propagation by root cuttings

Some plants can be multiplied by propagation by cuttings of roots. Take the roots while the plant is in dormancy, at rest, i.e. in late autumn and winter. This technique works well on plants that are naturally suckering, and on those with thick roots. You can multiply in this way Phlox, Oriental poppies, Acanthus, Echinops, Eryngiums, Japanese anemones, Verbascum, Kerria japonica, Aralia, Virginia sumac, Lilac, raspberry plants and blackberries…

• To propagate by root cuttings, start by choosing a vigorous, well-shaped clump. Removing some of its roots may weaken it slightly. Avoid selecting sickly or feeble plants; and also avoid taking too many roots from the same plant…
• Dig to lift the parent plant and expose the root system.
• Identify young, thick roots, then cut sections measuring between 6 and 12 cm in length (thicker roots can be cut shorter than finer ones), using a sharp, sterilised knife.
• Replant the parent plant immediately.
• Prepare a pot with a mix of potting compost and sand.
• Place the root sections. If the roots are fine, lay them horizontally and cover with about 1 cm of growing medium. If they are thick, place them vertically, the top of the root level with the surface.
• Water lightly.
• Place the pot under a cold frame, out of direct sun.
• Ensure the medium remains slightly moist, watering occasionally if necessary.

The cuttings should start to grow in spring.

Discover, for example, our video tips for propagating Oriental poppies from their roots:

Some specific techniques and further tips

• Propagate under cover?

Propagation by cuttings under cover simply involves placing a plastic bag or a plastic bottle (or another transparent glass or plastic container), to create a humidity‑saturated atmosphere around the cutting. This encourages rooting by creating truly favourable conditions and preventing desiccation. However, we advise airing occasionally (for example every three days) and ensuring the cutting does not touch the sides, to stop it from rotting. Also avoid placing in full sun!

To root a cutting under cover, you can use a bottle, but also a plastic bag or any other transparent item that keeps humidity

• Propagate in water?

This technique is very simple: just place the stem in water and wait for it to produce roots before potting on. The drawback is plants often have more difficulty establishing once planted into potting compost; their roots have adapted to water and become less suited to soil. Nevertheless, this method works well for papyrus, willow, mint, oleander… Apart from these species, and for most plants, we recommend propagating directly in potting compost.

In general, if using this technique, avoid leaving the plant in water for too long. It is also preferable to put a piece of charcoal in the water (this helps keep water clear and prevents the stem from rotting).

Learn more in our articles: How to easily propagate plants in water? and Which plants can be propagated in water?

• Use rooting hormones?

Rooting hormone facilitates rooting, improves healing and reduces disease. Far from essential, many plants can be multiplied without rooting hormone, but it remains useful for some species that are difficult to root. You can also make a natural substitute called “willow water” by placing willow branches in water for several weeks.

• Heel cuttings?

This is an alternative to simple stem cutting and is used to multiply trees and shrubs. A stem is taken along with a small segment of the shoot from which it grows. Keeping the base of this stem is useful because it contains meristems that promote root production, improving establishment.

Another similar alternative is crossette cutting. Here a stem is taken with a true section (between 1 and 2 cm long) of the branch it is attached to, creating a T‑shape. This method works well for rockroses, elders, olive trees, figs, vines, barberries, strawberry trees…

Learn more in our tutorials: How to make a heel cutting? and How to succeed with a crossette cutting?

Discover

Discover all our other tips on propagation by cuttings :

• 15 perennial plants that are easy to propagate
• 7 climbing plants that are easy to propagate
• 15 shrubs that are easy to propagate