The complete guide to flower cutting propagation methods: what are the reasons cuttings fail to survive?
Flower cutting propagation is a method many flower enthusiasts use to propagate plants. Today I will share it with you.
The complete guide to flower cutting propagation:
Cutting propagation uses the regenerative ability of plant roots, stems, leaves and buds so that, under suitable conditions, they grow roots and sprout to form new plants.
Advantages: it preserves the characteristics of each plant; the flowering period is earlier than with seed propagation; the propagation method is simple, the materials are easy to obtain, and the survival rate is high; it can be done in all four seasons when conditions are available; species that do not set seed can be propagated this way.
Disadvantages: cuttings have shallow root systems and a relatively short lifespan. Stem cuttings include hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings.
Hardwood cuttings of flowers
Deciduous flowering shrubs and trees such as pomegranate, hibiscus (rose of Sharon), cotton rose, crape myrtle, winter jasmine and poinsettia mostly use this method. Carry it out in early spring before the sap starts flowing. Choose vigorous, plump 1-2 year old branches, take the middle section, and cut them into 10-15 cm long pieces as cuttings; they need 2-3 buds, and the top bud of the cutting must be plump and intact. At the upper end, 0.5-1 cm above the bud, cut a flat cut; at the lower end, 0.5-1 cm below the bud, cut a slanted cut, with the bud on the slanted side; insert into the cutting medium to a depth of 1/2 of the cutting. For most tree species, hardwood cuttings are stored in sand in the ground over winter before being inserted in spring. Some tropical and subtropical flowering plants can also be propagated earlier in a greenhouse.
Softwood cuttings of flowers
Greenhouse flowers such as fuchsia, geranium and begonias; open-ground herbaceous flowers such as scarlet sage, dahlia and verbena; and evergreen broad-leaved flowering plants such as jasmine, azalea, banana shrub, camellia and osmanthus mostly use this method. Carry it out from late May to September. Choose semi-lignified leafy branches of the current year as cuttings, such as semi-lignified branches taken from the lower part near the shoot tip after flowering. The cuttings are about 6-10 cm long and must have 2-3 buds; cut them as for hardwood cuttings, and remove the lower leaves; part of each upper leaf can be trimmed off as appropriate to reduce evaporation. Insert immediately after cutting for a better survival rate. When taking cuttings of poinsettia, geranium and oleander, a large amount of sap often flows from the cut, so be sure to wait until the cut has dried before inserting, otherwise the cut is prone to rot after insertion and is difficult to root.
Leaf cuttings of flowers
Species that can grow adventitious roots and adventitious buds at the leaf veins or leaf stalk, such as wax begonia, chrysanthemum, echeveria and snake plant, can be propagated by leaf cuttings to grow into new plants. When cutting leaves, for those with a leaf stalk, keep about 3 cm of the stalk and trim off part of the thin, tender leaf margin, then insert the stalk into the medium; for those without a leaf stalk, cut at the intersections of the leaf veins with a knife and lay the leaf flat on the medium so that it makes close contact with it, or fix the leaf veins in the medium with a bamboo stick, so that roots form at the leaf veins and grow into a new plant. Snake plant has fleshy sword-shaped leaves that can be cut crosswise into leaf segments of about 5 cm as cuttings and inserted upright into sand; do not reverse the top and bottom when inserting, and new roots will form at the base to produce a new plant.
Leaf-bud cuttings of flowers
For rubber plant, hydrangea, jasmine and Chinese hibiscus, although the leaf stalk and leaf axil can root during leaf cuttings, they cannot sprout, so they cannot grow into new plants. Therefore, choose leaves with an axillary bud at the base for cuttings so that they can develop into new plants.
Root cuttings of flowers
For flowering plants whose roots can grow adventitious buds, such as chaenomeles (flowering quince), Chinese peony, Chinese trumpet creeper, kiwifruit, hypericum, wintersweet, garden phlox and bleeding heart, roots can be used as cuttings for propagation. When repotting the flowering plant, cut 5-10 cm root segments and insert them upright or at an angle into the soil; do not reverse the top and bottom, keep the upper end level with the soil surface, and after new shoots grow, earth up appropriately.
Water propagation method for flowers
Choose tender or semi-lignified branches, cut them to the required length about 1 cm below a node, remove the leaves that would be inserted in the water; the depth is generally 1/4 of the cutting; place them in diffused light according to each flower's habits, generally changing the water once every 3-5 days, and once the roots have grown to about 1-2 cm long they can be potted up.
No matter which cutting method is used, after insertion be sure to water thoroughly, then cover the cutting pot with glass or plastic film to maintain a certain temperature and relatively high humidity, place it in semi-shade, strengthen management, and after rooting, transplant and grow it on. To achieve a high survival rate for cuttings, besides selecting good cuttings, the medium is also very important; the medium must both drain well and have a certain water-holding capacity. Vermiculite, perlite, furnace slag and rice husk ash are good cutting media. The medium must be kept at a temperature above 20°C, that is, the air temperature must be above 25°C, so that the cut end of the cutting can heal easily and root.
Care and management of flowers after cutting:
Temperature management
Temperature plays a very important role in rooting of cuttings. The suitable rooting temperature for softwood cuttings of most flowers is 20°C-25°C; for semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings it is 22°C-28°C; for leaf cuttings and bud cuttings it varies by species, with the suitable temperature in the range of 20-28. If the temperature of the cutting bed is below 20°C, the cuttings root with difficulty; above 28, the leaves of the cuttings tend to wilt, which affects rooting. In spring, when the outdoor temperature is too low, a device that raises the bottom temperature of the cutting bed is beneficial for the survival of early-spring hardwood cuttings. For summer cuttings, take care to prevent high-temperature damage, open the covering, and spray the leaves to cool them down.
Water management
After cutting, the medium must continuously provide enough water to keep the branches and leaves normally fresh. Generally a soil water content of 50-60 is suitable; too much water often causes the cuttings to rot. At the same time, relatively high air humidity must be maintained, usually a relative humidity of 80%-90% is best. For this, promptly use leaf spraying and adjust the covering to control it. To avoid direct sunlight causing heavy transpiration and leaf shrinkage, pay attention to shading.
Light management
The top buds and leaves carried by the cutting can carry out photosynthesis only in sunlight and produce auxin to promote rooting. However, since they have been separated from the mother plant, they should be shaded appropriately, generally with a shading level of 70%. About half a month after the cuttings root, they can be moved out and planted in pots; first place them in a sheltered spot to recover, and after the root system has developed well and the plants are strong, gradually move them to a sunny place and manage them as usual.
That is all for the complete guide to flower cutting propagation and why cuttings fail to survive. I hope this article is helpful to you, and good luck.