There is no more popular, affordable and easy way to get new bushes or rejuvenate indoor plants than cuttings. The tops, shoots and leaves allow you to get new plants without losing varietal characteristics. Some indoor plants are easy to cut, others require preparation and a special environment. But cuttings for all indoor plants are subject to simple and straightforward rules. And even those who cannot boast of experience can do it.
Features of cuttings of indoor plants. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com nangarden
Contents:
What are the cuttings?
Cutting has become the most popular breeding method for indoor plants for a reason. Not all crops can be grown from seeds without losing varietal characteristics, and many species cannot be separated. But you can graft almost all indoor plants.
Trees, shrubs, favorite vines and ampels, ornamental deciduous and flowering herbaceous plants – most crops can be easily recreated from a single shoot, a piece of stem or even a leaf.
Specially “selected” or left over from regular pruning cuttings are the best material for propagation. Including for training and “tests” in the independent propagation of plants.
In indoor plants for cuttings, you can use:
- apical cuttings;
- stem cuttings;
- leafy cuttings.
Apical cuttings reproduce tradescantia, salinostemone, peperomia, satiety, cissus, epipremnum, ivy, Benjamin’s ficus, balsam, hoya, sparmania, pelargonium and Co.
Stem sections – first of all, yucca and dracaena.
From leafy cuttings you can get new Saintpaulias, begonias, bastards, streptocarpus, echeveria, rubber-bearing ficus, sansevieria, as well as cacti and succulents – Christmas, Schlumberger, Ripsalidopsis, prickly pears.
Depending on the “age” of the branches that are used for reproduction, there are:
- green cuttings;
- semi-lignified (in which only a few centimeters began to wood at the base of the branches);
- mature cuttings.
It is easier and faster to root green cuttings, but in some plants they do not take root.
Epipremnum is propagated by apical cuttings. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com oystagram
New begonias can be obtained from leafy cuttings. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com gardenersworld
For grafting dracaena, stem segments are used. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com So Very Very Thankful
General rules for grafting indoor plants
There are very few general rules for cuttings:
- It is necessary to adhere to the recommendations for reproduction for each individual species, choosing the best method and type of cuttings for it.
- Only healthy plants can be cuttings.
- It is important to be hygienic and tidy when working with cuttings. Prerequisites: sharp, clean tools, a prepared work area, disinfected containers, cleanliness of all materials and minimal injury to plant tissues.
Rooting methods for cuttings depend on the plant itself. Crops that are easy to propagate, such as Spathiphyllum or Tradescantia, take root easily even in water. The classic rooting method is in the soil.
Let’s take a closer look at the peculiarities of cuttings of indoor plants, which determine cutting, the choice of “material” and its rooting.
Read also our article 10 houseplants that are easy to get from cuttings.
For a “clean” cut, you need a sharp knife or blade and determination: cuttings must be cut in one motion, without leaving irregularities, “scraps” and without injuring the tissue. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com rpmga
Cutting cuttings
When cutting cuttings, it is important to choose the most “quality” material – the most beautiful, healthy, strong leaves and shoots. An excellent guideline is the saturation of the tone and the size of the leaves.
For a “clean” cut, you need a sharp knife or blade and determination: cuttings must be cut in one motion, without leaving irregularities, “scraps” and without injuring the tissue. Whenever there is a choice between cutting off and cutting off, cutting should be preferred.
For leaf cuttings, cutting is carried out either as low as possible, or gently breaking off with a “heel”. In sansevieria, large leaves are cut off from the soil, and then cut into strips from 5 to 6 cm long. In saintpaulias and other plants with petioles, the leaves (or part of the trunks of cacti) are broken off or cut off at the very base.
The apical cuttings should be cut, leaving 1-3 internodes or 2-3 buds. For large plants, cuttings with a length of 10 to 15 cm are considered standard, for compact plants – from 5 to 10 cm.But if internodes are rarely located and lignified shoots are cut off, the length of the cuttings can be increased to 25 cm.
The general rule for all indoor plants is to cut the cuttings under the knot of leaves. Carrying out an oblique, at an angle of 45 degrees, a neat and even cut 1-1,5 cm below the knot is a guarantee that everything will be done correctly.
Stem cuttings of dracaena and yucca are cut with a sharp knife, drying the slices and taking into account that new shoots will begin to grow from the upper bud. In plants belonging to the ampelous cultures and lianas, long shoots can be cut into pieces according to the same principles as the apical cuttings – at least with two growth points, 5 to 15 cm long.The upper cut is carried out above the leaf, exactly, the lower one is the same as for the apical cuttings.
The lower leaves of all cuttings are removed. Shortening the area of the remaining leaves (except for the top pair) by cutting in half helps to speed up rooting in capricious species. For cacti and succulents, as well as species that emit juice on the slices, the slices are dried – up to several days (in the case of “milkmen”, the slices are also washed in warm water before drying).
Charcoal treatment of cuts can reduce the risk of decay, but treatment with growth stimulants should be carried out only if it is recommended for this species.
For rooting in water, it is better to use transparent containers in which you can observe the condition of the cuttings and the process of their rooting. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com bybrittanygoldwyn
Terms of cuttings
For most plants, cuttings are carried out during the period of active growth. Depending on what kind of cuttings the plant can be propagated, they are cut from early spring to mid-summer:
- Green cuttings are usually cut when the transplant is carried out – in February or March.
- Semi-lignified cuttings are cut in June-July (or 4 months after the start of growth in a non-standard cycle).
- Fully lignified cuttings are best cut during dormancy and late winter.
If the cuttings were obtained from other growers or it is not possible to start rooting immediately, then it is better to store them in a bag, cloth or containers that protect from drying out, in a dark and cool place with a temperature of 2 to 6 degrees.
Rooting cuttings in water
For rooting in water, it is better to use transparent containers so that you can observe the condition of the cuttings and the process of their rooting. The cuttings are set vertically, immersed in water so that its level reaches the lower kidney.
Many popular indoor plants, especially those belonging to the category of the most unpretentious, root quickly in water, within 1-3 weeks.
You should not rush to plant the cuttings as soon as the first miniature roots appear: let them grow a little, and then plant them in the soil, carefully handling the roots.
With classical rooting in the soil, the cuttings are immersed with the cut down, set vertically or at a slight slope. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com kuinut
Classic rooting in soil
Rooting in the substrate is considered by many novice growers to be a difficult way of grafting. In fact, this is a reliable “standard” option.
The containers are filled with any universal lightweight, waterproof substrate (a mixture of peat and sand, a mixture of universal soil and sand, a special substrate matched to the type of plant). For hydroponically capable species, rooting can be done in sand or inert soils that allow easy control of the submerged sections. The soil should not be tamped.
For minimal injury, it is better to make holes for burying the cuttings in the soil in advance, using a special picking stick, a small spatula or a stick. A distance of 3 to 5 cm is left between the cuttings.
The cuttings are immersed with the cut down, setting them vertically or at a slight slope. Apical and stem cuttings are deepened to the internode, leaf cuttings – by 1-2 cm, observing the natural direction of growth. The maximum depth is up to 5 cm.
A light watering is carried out with warm water and a cap is installed – a special one or any one that replaces it (a plastic bag, a bottle, a film stretched over pegs, etc.). A home greenhouse or greenhouse is also perfect. The exception is succulents, which take root in the soil more often without “greenhouse” conditions.
For successful cuttings, 70% of soil moisture and 90% of air humidity are considered optimal (for non-moisture-loving species, it is worth reducing the indicators in proportion to the risk of decay). “Typical” conditions are maintained until roots emerge by controlling the temperature.
For most plants, values from 23 to 25 degrees are suitable. But it is better to carefully check the information on the recommendations for a particular species, because some plants may require a different temperature regime. So, cold-resistant species that love a cool winter take root better at 18-20 degrees, and those that are afraid of even a slight coolness – with heating and a temperature of 25 degrees.
Lighting in most cases (except for light-loving species) should be moderately diffused, without direct sun.
When signs of growth appear, indicating rooting, the cuttings are planted in individual containers, observing the transplantation rules for a particular species.
