Producing New Plants from Root Cuttings

In this article, we are going to talk about producing new plants from root cuttings. It’s really simple and anyone can do it if they have the right knowledge and tools. There are several different types of cuttings available so let’s go over some of them here. Take a moment and review the types of cuttings and what they are used for.

1. Different Forms of Root Cuttings

Root cuttings can come in many different forms. Some examples are snapdragon cuttings, suckers, rhizomes and others. Snapdragons are used to get rid of a variety of plant diseases such as powdery mildew, brown spots, yellow spider mites and others. They are also great for getting rid of black spot, common cold sore disease, athlete’s foot, and dandelion. If you’re growing a new bed of plants using these cuttings you need to put them in a protected place with good light and water until they harden.

2. Snip Off Edges of Leaves

Snip off the leaf edges that are exposed during the growth stage of the plant. This will create space for the root to grow into. The other advantage of cutting off the top of the plant is that it will provide a larger surface area for the roots to grow into.

3. Easy Method

This may sound like a lot of work but it really isn’t. All you’ve got to do is carefully snip off the plant’s top leaves and/or stem and then insert your new cuttings. This is not the most labor-intensive method for producing new plants but it is still quite easy. And if you’re using the snapdragons mentioned earlier, you won’t have to worry about keeping them moist while they grow.

4. Do Not Cut Too Far

While producing new plants from root cuttings. It’s very important when cutting a plant out of its natural environment that you don’t cut too far up or else the roots can get caught in the cutting tool and cause the plant to die. To test how far up you should cut the plant, pinch the base of the stem about one inch below the base of the leaflet. You should see a white line at the base of the leaflet that marks where you should cut. Cut about one inch further out than this. This is called cutting a stem.

5. Potting the Cuttings

When you get ready to pot your cuttings, lay the container on its side with the bottom of the container touching the soil. This helps to keep the plant from drying out too much before it is placed into the pot. You don’t want it sitting in the soil until it begins to wilt. The roots will be growing into the soil already, so you don’t need to worry about keeping the roots moist. If you’re growing a larger plant, such as a vine, it’s OK to put it directly into the pot, but smaller roots will need to be loosely wrapped using a ball or small piece of string.

6. Repot The Cuttings

When it comes time to repot your cuttings, carefully remove any spore covering from the inside of the pot. Once you’ve done this, you can gently shake the plant out of the pot. Then, add more soil to the top of the container and water the plant just like you would if you were growing it in your garden.

7. Ease of Taking Care

Root cuttings are very easy to take care of, especially if you plan to replant them later. Just remember, when you are cutting the plant, you should always cut the actual root ball, not just the tip. The tip of the root ball will usually have more succulent leaves to help make it more appealing to your flowers. Cut the stem ends too, rather than the whole thing.

8. Keep Cutting Damp

If you want to keep your cuttings, then you need to make sure that they are kept damp. This is usually pretty easy to do by placing the plants in a shallow dish of water. Just make sure that the dish isn’t so deep that the roots can get a foothold on the sides of the bowl, then just cover the dish with a simple garden net to keep the water in place. Keeping the roots damp helps them grow healthier plants with less problems later.

9. Conclusion

You may choose to use a propagator later on to further your efforts in producing new plants from cuttings. A propagator can be purchased online or at many gardening stores. They are pretty easy to assemble and are most effective when you are attempting to replant a very young plant. You can often find them at your local nursery as part of their general plant set.