Take Cuttings
You need
- Sources of cuttings
- Herbs
- Geranium
- Chrysanthemum
- Coleus
- Pothos
- Philodendron
- Ivy
- Containers such as clay or plastic pots or cut-off milk cartons. Be sure the container has drainage holes. You may need to poke holes if you are using a container such as a milk carton.
- Rooting medium (a mixture of peat moss and perlite or peat moss and vermiculite)
- Plastic bag
What to do
Fill the container to within one inch with the rooting medium. Gather the cuttings. Each cutting should be about 3 to 5 inches long with several nodes. Remove the lower leaves, keeping only a few leaves at the top of each cutting. Insert the cuttings into the rooting medium. If you have several cuttings, make sure they are spaced to allow for roots to develop. Moisten the rooting medium and allow the excess to drain out. To prevent the cuttings from drying out, cover the pot with the plastic bag. Secure the bag with a rubber band. Place the cuttings in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Check the container to make sure it is not too wet. If you see large droplets of water inside the plastic, the medium is too wet. Take the plastic off for several hours and then replace. The cuttings should root in several weeks. To find out if the cuttings are rooted, remove the plastic bag and gently pull on the cutting. Once the cuttings are rooted, transplant each to a container filled with potting soil or plant them in your garden.