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Make More Plants from Cuttings: A Step-by-Step Propagation Guide

Many common garden plants root easily from cuttings, giving you full-grown plants in half the time it takes to start from seed.

Types of Cuttings

There are several types of cuttings, each using different stem maturity stages. Happily, you can treat them similarly.

Softwood cuttings come from fresh, new growth in spring or early summer. Butterfly bush and dogwoods root well from softwood.
Greenwood cuttings are from young stems starting to mature, still in their first year. Taken in early to midsummer. Gardenia and boxwood root well from greenwood.
Semi-ripe cuttings are tougher, more mature stems taken midsummer to fall. Camellia and honeysuckle often root well from semi-ripe wood.
Hardwood cuttings come from woody, dormant stems in late fall or winter. Mock orange and viburnum often root from hardwood.

You can also get more plants by saving seeds; click here to learn how.

Supplies for Cuttings

Sharp knife or pruning shears
Containers for potting
Potting mix, perlite, vermiculite, or sand
Rooting hormone

Step 1: Cut Off a Section of Stem

Select healthy growth 3–6 inches long. Make a clean, sharp cut; crushing stems hinders root development.

Step 2: Remove the Lower Leaves

Clip leaves off the lower half of the stem to create a bare section for insertion. Optionally dip the end in rooting hormone to speed rooting.

Step 3: Pot Up Your Cutting

Immediately pot the cutting in moist potting mix, sand, perlite, or vermiculite. Keep humid by loosely wrapping in clear plastic or placing under a cloche. Be patient—rooting takes a month or two on average.