![]() Why? Because you want to make good use of every possible cutting, and so minimise the number of stock plants and the amount of space required for keeping up production. #Plant clippings in water how toNow that we have ensured that the stock plant is as healthy as it can be, it must be time to get out the scissors….No! Taking a cutting requires care! Choosing the correct tip to keep is important, but equally it is important to know where to cut, how to cut, what to use to cut, and how to care for the cutting afterwards. A stable, vigorous, healthy stock plant will yield cuttings of similar quality. It is also wise to make sure that the stock plant has been in a stable growth routine and has not dried out in the preceding two weeks. Make sure you water your stock plant the day before you take cuttings and it is best to take your cuttings during the first hours of light. Once you have taken the cuttings, which can be as big of a shock to the plant as loss of roots, transfer it into a reduced light environment. If you reduce the light level too much, you will induce internode stretch. Keep the light level up during growth periods, but reduce the amount of light the stock plants are exposed to by one third in the week before you take your cuttings. You also want to avoid any other nutrient deficiencies - the plant should appear healthy with glossy green leaves and thick cuticles. Cut back on the amount of nitrogen being fed to the stock plant if internode stretch becomes obvious. If you are working only with terminal cuttings they should be as tight as possible, so as to avoid too much internode (The part of the plant stem between adjacent node) stretch. The fertiliser ratios that could be used are as varied as the number of plant species the cuttings can come from, so we won’t make any recommendation here, other than to feed the stock plant according to how it is growing. Overfeeding will reduce the number, size and quality of the root initials. Ensure the stock plant is being fed on a regular basis but do not give it too many nutrients (especially nitrogen), as this will cause an imbalance in carbohydrate storage, resulting in soft cuttings that have little energy for rooting. The stock plant needs to be growing actively but not forced to grow too fast as we want to force the cutting to form roots and minimise the risk of it having a vegetative growth surge. How to prepare the stock plant for cutting ![]() This is because the leaf/bud cutting has to do two things, root on 'harder' wood, and then it has to break dormancy in the auxiliary bud since it was not usually active when the cutting was taken like a tip bud would be. ![]() Terminal or tip cuttings root and grow easily and faster than a leaf or bud cutting. A leaf/bud or auxiliary cutting has one or two leaves with an auxiliary bud that sprouts into a new plant, with no terminal. There are 2 basic types of cuttings, terminal or tip cuttings and leaf/bud or auxiliary cuttings. nutritional deficiency) rapidly and throughout its development. The plant which grows from a cutting will show any problem (i.e. This problem is compounded by the fact that the cutting no longer has legs (roots) and therefore cannot get access to food or drink. If the stock plant was deficient in phosphorous, for example, then the cutting will also be deficient in phosphorous. The cutting should be placed in a suitable medium and encouraged to grow as an independent plant are a part of the original stock plant (the plant which is used to obtain propagating material, plant cuttings are taken from the stock plant) and they share the same balance of light, air, water, and nutrients as the stock plant. ![]() What is a plant cutting?Ī cutting is a small piece of plant which contains at least one stem cell of the parent(stock) plant. ![]() Plant cuttings are a reflection of their origin. Expensive equipment is not the answer, doing your homework is. While the steps are correct, there is much more to consider to ensure success with plant cuttings. Okay, then take a pair of scissors, cut some tips off a plant, place the tips in a propagator and away they go, right? Sorry, wrong again. Nothing could be simpler - take a pair of scissors, cut some tips off a plant, place the cut tips into a medium and away they go, right? ![]()
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