Written by Charlotte West
Have you ever seen a friend’s house plant and said, “I want that plant! Can I have a cutting?” I have. Often even times at a restaurant I just can not resist taking a snip. Cutting, or clippings as some call it, or even divisions can be as easy or as complicated as you choose to make it.
The key thing is to know is which plants do the best from clippings and which do best from divisions. Knowing this will produce little disappointment and great rewards. In this week’s article we are going to cover house plants and succulents.
There are “true house plants” and succulents. Succulents usually having a thick skinned, plump-leaved appearance.
Starting with succulents: Most succulents actually grow with small roots attached to their leaf steams. Look real closely, they may be hard to see. Simply take a clipping from the section below the small roots and pull of a few of the bottom leaves. In dry soil about a quarter of an inch deep, plant the clipping with as much root into the soil.
The key here is not to over water your new plants. Just a small amount of water given the clipping will suffice for a few days. Give a small drink of water about every 4-5 days and you should have great success. Your new succulent transplant should be perk in appearance if all is going well. If yellowing starts to show you have over watered. So I think it is best to transplant a few succulent clippings to increase your odds of success. It will take a few weeks for your new succulent to root. You will know this when you can gently pull on the new plant and there is a slight give then you are on the way to a new fun plant – with the pleasure of knowing this is something you have nurtured and grown. From this point on succulents are very forgiving. You are better to underwater than over water.
Also you may have seen instances with plants where when leaves fall a new plant arises. Then all you have to do is gather a leave or two and plant by simply barely sticking into the soil and you do not give a drink of water for a few days. Then a few good drops should do.
Now a third way to get succulents to take rook is when there is no visible root. In this case you may need the aid of a product called root tone. This can usually be found at your local nursery or green house. The need for root tone will be when you have to take a clean cutting without any visible roots. Be careful not to burn your cutting by using too much of the product. Just dip a little of the leaf into the powdery root tone and give a gentle shake to remove any access. Plant and make sure to water from root up, then again about every two days or just lightly mist your new plant with a spray bottle filled with water.
Now non succulents: True houseplants are easier to grow from root divisions. All you have to do is gently dig around the mother plant and remove a small section of the plant. Giving a gentle tug you will find a pretty substantial root system attached. You only need this division to be about finger length. Remove any flower buds that may be attached so that most the growth nutrients can go straight to the new transplant. Plant deep enough to cover the roots and water from root up and leave alone. At the point before the soil dries out give the new plant a small drink.
Keep in whether it’s a succulent you are trying to grow from a cutting or a root division from a house plant. Patience is the key to success. You may have to try a few times but once you get the hang of it you will know exactly how to do so successfully. Give them lots of bright filtered light and you are off to a great start. In the next article we will cover transplanting outside plants, wildflowers, and Cacti.
Till then start developing the upper hand on cuttings from houseplants and succulents.
