Which herbaceous flowers can be propagated by cuttings

At present, most herbaceous flowers are raised from seed, but for some flowers whose seeds are expensive, difficult to raise from seed, or that can normally only be propagated vegetatively, or for flowers whose seedling growth needs to be sped up, cutting propagation is an effective option. Varieties commonly propagated, or also propagated, by cuttings include: wax begonia, kalanchoe, French marigold, African marigold, scarlet sage, dahlia, coleus, zinnia, moss rose, summer chrysanthemum, National Day chrysanthemum, autumn chrysanthemum, winter chrysanthemum, and so on.

The following points should be noted in cutting propagation:

① Preparation of the substrate. It must hold water well, drain well, be free of pollution, and be properly sterilized. Lightweight materials are best; commonly used ones include peat soil, perlite, vermiculite, rice husk ash, and fine river sand, used alone or in combination.

② Preparation of cuttings. Generally, vigorous young shoots of the current year are used, with 2 to 3 top leaves left on, 5 to 8 cm long, and the cut surface should be smooth. This can be done together with pruning and shaping, and generally no rooting treatment is carried out.

③ Water management. Keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged, keep the leaf surface often moist, and do not let the cuttings dehydrate.

④ Light management. Newly inserted cuttings should be shaded to avoid direct sunlight, and can be placed in the open at night; after rooting, they may appropriately receive morning and evening sunlight. When full-mist cutting is used, they can be placed in the sunlight.

⑤ Pest and disease management. Spraying can be used to prevent diseases and pests.