Easy Guide To Taking A Cutting

Taking plant cuttings is a great skill to have, and it allows you to keep your favourite strains of a plant going and save you some money. Taking cuttings has always been thought of as something hard, even scary – but that's a myth. It is relatively easy to take cuttings of most plants. Follow our five easy steps below, and you'll be away laughing.

1 – Time it right. 
If you are taking cuttings from outside plants – the best time to do this is mid-summer and up until the end of autumn. If you are taking cuttings from inside plants, it is best to do it in the morning as the plants will be turgid – meaning it is still full of water which can help with rooting.

2 – Cut Cleanly
Make sure you use a CLEAN scalpel blade or scissors and take a nice clean snip at the node. The node is the point on the stem where the leaves originate. We cannot stress enough how important it is that your blade is clean and sterile.

3 – Gently transfer your cutting
Pretend you are handling a delicate newborn puppy and be as gentle as you can with your cutting. If you are using a rooting solution, tip some of the solution in a small measuring cup or similar vessel and dip your cutting into it. Then GENTLY transfer it to your prepared medium (we suggest perlite).

4 – Keep it humid & moist
All cuttings need a high humidity environment to take off. A propagation dome with a heat pad underneath is your best bet at maintaining this. Mist them daily with a sprayer bottle on the widest setting, so it delicately coats the leaves.

5 – Transplant your cutting once it is ready
Don't transplant it straight away once you see your cutting has some roots. Let the roots develop and grow a little more – this will help them withstand the shock when they are re-potted. Once they are re-potted, be attentive over the next week as it will need extra care while settling into its new home.

See told you it was easy!