Do It Yourself – Plant cutting
Plant cutting seems difficult, but it’s actually pretty easy. It’s a way to make sure that your house is filled with plants in no time, and that in a low budget way. As soon as your favorite plant has a young twig, just cut it off. This is what they call an offshoot. Put this twig in a glass of water so that the roots can grow quickly. You can also choose to put the cutting directly in the soil, this works best with succulents and cacti. As soon as the plant is big enough you can transplant it to a larger pot.
Plants that grow from cuttings
The Chlorophytum Xomosum, Saxifraga, Pilea Peperomioides, Tolmiea Menziesii and the Epiphyllum are examples of plants that are very suitable for cutting.
What do you need
- Pruning shears;
- A sharp knife;
- Jars or trays for the new plants;
- The right soil.
Plant cutting step for step
- Remove the plant cuttings from the plant.
Make sure you cut off a piece of a young and healthy shoot. This way you have the best chance that the plant grows well. - Cut off the twigs.
As soon as you have cut a shoot, you can make several cuttings of it. Cut off the whole shoot and divide it into pieces (five to ten centimetres). You can use the sharp knife to cut off the pieces. Remove the lower leaves, but make sure that at least two pairs of leaves remain attached. - Choose the right ground.
It is important to choose the right potting soil. Not all potting soil is the best, therefore do not choose the 'normal' potting soil. Cuttings need soil that lets through water well. - Planting your cutting.
You can choose which pot you use for your cutting. Fill the container with cutting soil and make sure that there is a minimum distance of 5 cm between the cuttings. - Watering.
Make sure the soil is moist. Just don't give them too much water, they will drown (three times a week is sufficient). Make sure the cuttings are not in full sun. - Checking the cuttings.
After four to five weeks you can check the cuttings. Carefully lift them out of the pot to see if there is already a clay rootball. In this case they are strong enough to repot to a larger pot. If the roots are not yet big enough, you can put them back in the soil to allow them to grow further.
Tips
- Let the cuttings of a leaf cactus dry for four days. These cuttings need little water.
- You can also put the cuttings in a glass of water, as soon as they have grown considerably you can plant them in soil.
- Grease plants and cacti are best planted directly in the soil.
- Baby plants of the Pilea Peperomioides are easy to recognize. They grow next to the mother plant.
