Growing your own garden is a wonderful way to bring a little bit of nature into your daily life, whether it’s through the addition of fresh herbs to your food or beautiful flowers on your dining table. In order to get started with a herb garden, it is necessary to buy all new plants. The good news is that starting a garden from cuttings doesn’t have to be expensive or complex. There is a list of plants that can be grown from cuttings here to make things easier for you.
Cuttings can be used to propagate a wide variety of herbs and plants. This procedure essentially clones the parent plant, which may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but it simply means that a bit of the mother plant regrows after it is cut off.
We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite plant cuttings that can be replanted. Cut flowers, houseplants, and succulent plants can all be propagated from cuttings, making it possible to cultivate a variety of herbs from a single stem.
Plants that can be grown from cuttings are listed here.
PLANT SOURCES THAT GROW FROM CUTTINGS
MINT
When it comes to herbs, mint is one of the most adaptable. It’s easy to cultivate mint cuttings from a cutting in water because of the flexible stem. The cutting should be transplanted into potting soil once it has established roots.
SAGE
Taking cuttings from a garden in the fall and potting it over the winter is the best way to regrow sage in the spring. Leaf cuttings can also be grown in water to produce roots because they are soft-stemmed plants.
ROSEMARY
Rosemary is an excellent herb to start with if you want to attempt and propagate a plant because it will quickly take over your herb garden. Basal cuttings can be taken in the fall or early spring. New shoots will grow more easily if the stem is greener.
THYME
Replanting thyme is very similar to transplanting rosemary. Using the same jar of water (just make sure there is enough room in the container) you can even replant the two.
BASIL
Basil is a hardy plant that may easily be replanted in water after being cut down. To avoid using basil that has already bloomed, you’ll need to remove most of the lower leaves, leaving only the top clusters.
OREGANO
Soilless regrowth of this herb can be accomplished by removing all but the top few leaves from the plant and replanting it in water.
LAVENDER
The lavender plant’s tip should be trimmed by three inches. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least four to six weeks before planting stem cuttings in a garden bed if you take them in the spring. Taking cuttings in the fall is also an option.
HORSERADISH
Horseradish can be replanted directly by separating the root into three parts and replanting the root cuttings about a foot apart in your garden. Alternatively, you can grow it indoors in a damp, sand-based environment.
GERANIUMS
Roses can be propagated by submerging them in water. In fact, if you’re unclear about how to propagate plants, you might choose to start with this bloom. Cut the stems and leaves to a length of six inches and place them in water with the tops of the leaves visible. Geraniums’ new root growth in water can take up to a month to complete.
FUCHSIA
The cutting should be taken in the spring, and the leaves should be kept covered with moist compost and sand. That summer, you can replant it to reap the benefits of blooms the following year.
HYDRANGEA
The plant’s tip should be trimmed by about four inches. Plant in moist rooting soil and cover with plastic once two or three pairs of leaves have been left. To prevent moisture evaporation, split the leaves in half before putting them in the refrigerator.
BEGONIA
Gently press the end of the cutting into moistened potting soil. Perlite and vermiculite can also be used in combination. A warm, humid, and well-lit area away from direct sunlight is the best place to keep the cutting until roots begin to grow.
JADE PLANT
Wait for a 3- to 4-inch-long branch to dry before using it. Make sure to maintain the potting mixture just moist enough for the cutting to take root once it has dried.
AZALEA
Azaleas can be propagated in the spring when the leaves are fully developed and the wood is just soft enough to break off easily. Trim healthy branches to a point just below the leaf attachment point with a 5-inch-long clipper. Remove all of the flower buds and the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting before replanting. Dip the end in a rooting hormone and plant in the potting mixture. Cuts should be kept in bright, indirect sunshine.
If you want to effectively propagate a plant or herb, there are a few things you need to do in order to get healthy plants and herbs at a low cost.
SNAKE PLANT
Increase the number of plants by propagating your sansevieria! Cut a leaf from the plant and submerge it to a depth of about a quarter of its length in water. Change the water every two days and store in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. You’ll start to see small sprouts soon!
POTHOS
Propagating a pothos is practically foolproof. Place the leaf in a bowl of water and cut it above the root nodes. It will be a matter of days until the roots take off.
AFRICAN VIOLET
In the spring, when the fresh leaves are beginning to emerge, do this project. At the plant’s root, cut off a healthy leaf and its stalk. If you need to, moisten the stem with tepid water after applying rooting hormone to it.
DRACAENA
It’s time for your plant to get a trim! A dracaena is propagated by cutting off the top portion of the plant and including a few nodes in the cut. When you place it in water or moist soil, you should wait for it to take root. In the meantime, your recently chopped dracaena should be able to regrow itself in no time.
BUTTERFLY BUSH
Simply insert branch tip cuttings in water in the early spring or summer. In a few weeks, you’ll start to see some roots! To maximize absorption, we recommend slicing the stem at a 45-degree angle.
CHRYSANTHEMUM
Cuttings of healthy stems should be inserted into perlite, with one or two nodes below the surface, when these plants have done blooming. Bright indirect light is ideal. Replanting the cuttings in a tiny container is done when the roots are about an inch long. Transfer to a permanent site outside for 4-6 weeks before doing so.
THE RIGHT WAY TO PROPAGATE PLANTS FROM CUTS
STEP ONE:
Choosing your preferred plants from the list of those that can be propagated from cuttings is the first step. Make sure you get plenty of the plant by selecting a healthy portion of the plant. A good rule of thumb is to have enough to cover half of the plant in the propagation medium and half of the plant sticking out above it, depending on the herb or plant.
STEP TWO
Leaves on the bottom half of the cut should be carefully removed. If it’s a herb like a rosemary or sage, pinching the leaves off with your fingers works just as well as scissors or a sharp knife. Cut the leaves in half if it’s a large-leafed plant like a hydrangea.
STEP THREE
Just below a leaf node, cut the stem (the area where you pinched or cut the leaves off). It’s possible to “wound” the stem of a difficult-to-root plant by cutting lightly on both sides of the stem base. Rooting hormones can also be used to speed up the process.
STEP FOUR
Cut the end of the stem and insert it into the appropriate rooting medium. A jar of water may be sufficient for softwood cuttings with immature stems, such as those found in most herbs. Sand or soil potting mix is best for cuttings with harder, woody stems, such as those from hardwood trees…. Once the cuttings have taken root, they’ll need to be transplanted back into soil again.
Make sure each cutting has enough air and light by not crowding them, but don’t add nutrients or fertilizer because the plant doesn’t yet have roots to absorb them. Soil or sand should not be too dense and should be able to drain water easily.
STEP FIVE
To avoid moisture from escaping, place a clear plastic bag on top of your cutting. Because plants don’t have roots to draw in more water, you have to help them retain moisture so that they can develop roots. Plant cuttings should be kept out of direct sunshine, but the cover should be clean.
When you start to observe new growth, the plant or herb has taken root (new leaves and, of course, a new root system). Enjoy your new plants and be gentle with the replanting.
