Plant cuttings: everything you need to know
Winter cuttings, heel cuttings, stem cuttings, head cuttings, leaf cuttings ... Are you dizzy yet? That is exactly why we have created this cutting guide. Cuttings are a lot of fun and not difficult, as long as you know how and when to cut certain plants.
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Propagating plants by cuttings is a fun and cheap way to add more greenery to your garden or home. The biggest advantage of cuttings as a way of propagating is that the resulting plant is the same as the parent plant. How does that work exactly? In the plant world, there are 2 ways of reproduction. The first way is sexual reproduction , which occurs through seed formation after pollination. The plants that grow from seed therefore have characteristics of both parent plants.
In asexual reproduction, no father or mother plant is needed. The plants can 'clone' themselves, for example from a piece of leaf, stem or root. This is also called vegetative propagation . Cutting plants is a method of vegetative propagation, just like layering or dividing. If you want to propagate plants with mutations, for example sansevieria with a specific pattern, then cuttings is an option where there is a greater chance that your new plant will have that same pattern.
The best time to take cuttings depends on several factors, such as the type of cutting you take. That is why you can read when to get started with each cutting method in this article.
There are many different ways of cutting, and all of these ways have their own name. Usually, the name refers to the part of the plant that you use for the cutting. Think of root cuttings, leaf cuttings or stem cuttings.
You can divide cutting methods into two categories:
- Cuttings based on the part of the stem used (such as head cuttings or intermediate cuttings), and
- Cuttings based on the age of the cutting material (such as semi-ripe cuttings or wood cuttings).
In this section we will first explain 6 ways of cutting based on which parts of the plant you use. Later in this article you will read more about the importance of the age of your cutting material , which is relevant for head cuttings, heel cuttings, intermediate cuttings and stem cuttings.
One of the most popular and easiest forms of plant cuttings are head cuttings. This form of cuttings is also called shoot cuttings or summer cuttings. These are cuttings of the fast-growing upper part of the stem, or the head.
- When to take cuttings? In spring and early summer.
- Which plants? Most annuals and herbaceous perennials, such as Verbena , Pelargonium , Spanish daisy ( Osteospermum ), fuchsia, butterfly bush and hydrangea (photo).
- You cut or clip off a piece of about 10 cm from a non-flowering stem. Also cut off the lower leaves to prevent moisture loss.
- The stem of the cutting then you put up to about a third in some soil in a pot. You can put several cuttings in a pot by putting them at the edges .
When making heel cuttings, you do not cut off a piece of the stem, but carefully pull a side shoot from the stem. You do this in such a way that a small 'heel' of the stem remains at the bottom. Heel cuttings are suitable for woody plants (but not trees) with sturdy branches (such as elder) or old plants that are no longer in top condition. The heel contains a lot of growth hormones (auxin), which helps the cutting to root faster.
- When to take cuttings? From mid-summer to early autumn.
- Carefully pull a side shoot of about 10 cm long from the stem. Make sure that a small heel of the stem remains at the bottom.
- Then trim the heel slightly to remove any remaining soft bark.
- Plant your cutting in a pot filled with potting soil.
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An intermediate cutting is made from a part of the stem with leaves, but the cutting has no head. The advantage of intermediate cuttings is that you can take more cuttings from one longer stem, but they often root less quickly than many other cuttings, so they are not suitable for all plants.
- When to take cuttings? In spring and early summer.
- Which plants? Climbing plants, hanging plants and creeping plants, such as Clematis (photo) and ivy ( Hedera ). Also suitable for plants with short stem parts between leaf nodes, such as fuchsias.
- Choose a healthy stem from the mother plant. Cut it off.
- Make several cuttings from the cut stem. Cut the bottom of the cutting between two leaf nodes, so the new roots grow from the 'normal' stem (see photo).
- Plant your cutting in a pot with potting soil.
With stem cuttings, you do not cut the cutting at a bud or leaf axil, but you cut young shoots right at the ground, as close to the root as possible. There is often a slight thickening at that spot and you have to cut through it. In this way, there is a piece of the parent plant at the bottom of the cutting. For plants whose branches become hollow, such as larkspur and lupine, this is the only way to propagate them vegetatively.
- When to take cuttings? Late winter or early spring, up to and including April
- Find a young shoot that looks healthy.
- Cut this cutting all the way to the ground, preferably so that you still take a piece of root from the mother plant.
- Plant this cutting in a pot with potting soil.
You can also make cuttings from the roots of certain plants. You probably already have experience with this, because some proliferating plants (such as couch grass ) can grow again from just a piece of root. But root cuttings are also often possible with desired garden plants.
- When to take cuttings? During the plant's dormant period, usually late autumn to late winter, although some plants do rest in the summer (such as Primula denticulata ).
- Cut a piece of a thicker carrot into several pieces during winter dormancy.
- Place the root pieces in a layer of soil.
- Water, keep moist and wait for your new plants.
A number of plants can be cut from a (part of a) leaf. This is especially true for all kinds of succulents, but also for example for leaf begonias. When the plant is actively growing, you can take leaf cuttings. Make sure that the cutting material makes good contact with the soil and keep it moist. Soon new shoots, buds and roots will then develop from the leaf. The original leaf usually falls away as soon as the new plant grows well.
- When to take cuttings? All year round, but in spring and early summer you have the best chance of success.
How you make leaf cuttings varies quite a bit per plant. Generally you follow these steps:
- Select a healthy leaf from the mother plant.
- Cut, break or slice off this leaf. If necessary, cut it back (as with Peperomia ).
- Allow the cut to dry if necessary (succulents, cacti).
- Place your leaf cutting in a container or pot with potting soil.
Layering plants means that you allow a plant to grow new roots on an existing stem without detaching the stem from the mother plant. You bury a portion of an existing stem and when the roots have developed, you cut or snip the stem loose from the mother plant. Then your cutting is ready to be planted out.
- Find a flexible branch from this year's growth that will reach the ground and still have some branch left. Cut the leaf from a 2-inch section, about 8 inches from the top of the shoot.
- Make a superficial oblique cut 2 cm long, halfway through the branch, but do not cut through the branch. The wound promotes root formation.
- Fill a pot with seed compost and place it in the soil at the base of the plant. Bend the shoot down into a shallow groove in the soil.
- Cover the branch with potting soil and hold it down with a piece of wire. Wait until the branch has roots (after about a year) before cutting it off the parent plant.
Cuttings of (parts of) plant stems are made at different times. These include types such as head cuttings, intermediate cuttings, heel cuttings and stem cuttings. Some cuttings take better if you make them from very young or woody material. You will therefore regularly come across indications such as 'immature cuttings' and 'winter cuttings'. Based on the age of the cutting material, you can distinguish 3 groups:
The fresh growth of summer plants that have their spring growth spurt can often be used excellently for cuttings. This applies, for example, to many perennial, herbaceous plants such as pelargoniums and fuchsias (photo). You can also take stem cuttings now, for example from your pre-grown dahlias or from larkspur ( Delphinium ). You can take cuttings from soft stems of summer-flowering shrubs as soon as they grow strongly in the spring. Think, for example, of hydrangeas, butterfly bushes and Hibiscus .
- When to take cuttings: March-May
Semi-ripe cuttings of deciduous shrubs are taken between midsummer and early autumn from the growth of this season, after flowering. The material is partly ripe, but not yet woody. This often works well for plants that are more difficult to propagate from unripe material, such as bridal flower ( Deutzia , photo), weigelia and farmer's jasmine. You can also make semi-ripe cuttings from evergreen shrubs, such as many conifers , boxwood and Hebe .
- When to take cuttings: July-September
Winter cuttings or wood cuttings are made from ripe (i.e. woody) cutting material. This works well with many deciduous trees and (fruit) shrubs, such as willows ( Salix ), members of the Prunus family and berry and raspberry bushes.
- When to take cuttings: late autumn to mid-winter, while the plant is dormant
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