Like most passionate gardeners, I am always looking for new plants. Whether I’m visiting a friend’s garden, hiking a nature trail or just driving down the road, when I spot an interesting plant, I must check it out. This usually leads to wondering if I could grow it at home. That’s why I always have pruners, paper towels, plastic baggies and a bottle of water handy to take a cutting.
In propagation from cuttings, a gardener cuts off a piece of an annual, perennial, tree or shrub and grows an entirely new plant from that part. There are three types of cuttings: stem, leaf and root. Stem cuttings form roots and leaves; leaf cuttings form roots and stems; root cuttings form stems and leaves.
The concept is simple. Placing the growth tissue within a leaf or stem in direct contact with soil will initiate the formation of roots and spur growth of the other missing part. Buried bits of fleshy roots without shoots will respond by forming new stems and leaves. All
