by Jaimela King

Created on: September 18, 2009

There are several ways that you can increase the number of plants you have, both indoor or outdoor. Propagation produces new plants that are identical to the original plant. One of the simplest and popular ways to propagate plants is from cuttings. It is important that the parent plant you use for propagating is a healthy one. A plant with any kind of deformity, yellowing, or disease should be avoided.

1. Make a clean cut 2 or 3 inches below the leaf joint or the stem

2. Remove leaves from the lower portion of the cut stem.

3. Fill a 2 or 3 inch pot with moist, half sand and half peat moss.

4. Carefully press the cutting into the peat moss mixture.

5. The lowest leaf on the cutting should be just above the peat moss. More than one cutting can be placed in a pot.

6. Place the pot in a warm area and cover with either a plastic bag or a plastic pot.

7. Keep the pot away from direct sunlight until roots are well developed.

When propagating potted plants like violets and begonias you can do so by leaf cutting:

1. Select a healthy leaf without the stem.

2. With a sharp knife, cut across the veins of the leaf in several places.

3. Fill the container with equal parts of vermiculite or perlite, peat moss and sand.

4. Press the leaf on the top of the soil and weigh down with rocks.

5. Cover container with plastic and store in a warm place.

6. When shoots appear within a few weeks, separate and pot individually.

For begonias cut the leaves in a triangle with portions of the stem included and place stem in the soil mixture. African violets can be propagated by cutting the leaves with the stem attached and placing the stem in prepared mixture following the directions previously outlined. You can propagate your favorite rose bush and many other indoor and outdoor plants.

There is money to be saved by dividing your favorite plants. Whether it is a rose bush or geranium, propagating from cuttings is a worthwhile past time. You have nothing to lose and much to gain by dividing your plants and starting new ones. To ensure success, ensure that the plants used are healthy, that they are placed in the right growing medium and with the correct temperature. Here are more ways to multiply your plants.

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