Cutting

Propagation
By: Alliyah, Kelsey, & Ophelia
 Cuttings
● Cutting is when a portion of a plant is
removed and made to form roots.
Commonly used for shrubs and house
plants.
● Propagation by cutting is the most common
method of asexual or vegetative
reproduction.
● A cutting is any vegetative plant part such
as
○ Stem Cutting (non woody plant)
○ Softwood Cutting (normally woody
plants; cuttings made from new growth
before it hardens)
○ Hardwood Cuttings (From a woody plant
after the stem has hardened)
4 Main Types of Cuttings:
Herbaceous: Done from non-woody, herbaceous plants. A 3-5 inch piece of stem is cut and
the lower leaves are removed. A high percentage of these root, and they do so quickly.

Softwood: Done with soft, new growth of woody plants as they begin to mature. Shoots are
good if they have both older leaves and new growth of leaves. You must be careful with the
shoots, but it is worth is because they root very quickly.

Semi-Hardwood: These are usually done from semi- matured wood that is pretty firm with
matured leaves. This is commonly used in broad-leaved evergreen shrubs.

Hardwood: These are done from mature, dormant wood that is very firm and solid. These are
commonly used with deciduous shrubs and also evergreens.
 Stem Cutting
● Stem cuttings should be 6 inches long with three to
four leaves retained at the terminal end. Cut the stem
at a 45-degree angle immediately under a node.
● Plants that are stem cut should be:
○ Healthy
○ Insect free
● The best time to do a cutting is in the morning. Stem
cutting of many woody plants must be taken in the
fall or their dormant season.
● Abelia
○ Semi Hardwood
○ Hardwood
● Bittersweet
○ Soft wood
○ Hardwood
○ Semi Hardwood
 Tip Cuttings

● Detach a 2-to-6-inch piece of

stem, including the terminal bud.
Make the cut just below a node,
then remove lower leaves that
would touch or be below the
medium.
● Dip the stem in rooting hormone
if desired (then, gently tap the
end of the cutting to remove
excess hormone).
● Make a hole in the medium with a
pencil or post label, and insert the
cutting deep enough into the
media to support itself.
 ● The first cut is made just
Medial Cuttings above a node, and the
next is about 2-6 inches
further down on the
stem.
● These cuttings must be
positioned right side up.
 Cane Cuttings
● Cane cutting takes place in thick plant
stems.
● Sections must include:
○ Two eyes, or nodes
● To produce a successful new plant the
ends must be dusted with fungicide or
activated charcoal.
● Fungicide- a chemical used for
controlling fungi
● Process:
○ Dusted ends
○ After drying for several hours cuttings
are laid horizontally
○ Then new plant growth begins
Single Eye
● This is mainly used with plants that
have alternate leaves when space or
materials are limited.
● The stem is cut about a ½ inch
above and a ½ inch below one of the
nodes. The cuttings are them placed
in the growing medium.

*Eye=Node
 Double Eye

● Double eye cutting is used for

plants that have opposite
leaves when space or stock
material is limited
● Process:
○ Cut stems about ½ of an
inch above and ½ inc below
the same node and inserted
into the medium vertically
with the node barely
touching the surface of the
medium.
 Heel Cutting

● This uses a base material that has

woody stems.
● Make a shield-shaped cut about
halfway through the wood around a
leave and axial bud.
● The shield should be inserted
horizontally into the soil or other
growing medium.
Leaf Cutting

● Leaf cutting is mainly done for

house plants
● Most leaves that are propagated
will only produce roots, and no
plant or will decay.
● Plants with thick fleshy leaves are
better suitable for leaf cutting.
Leave cutting are only for plants
that are able to form adventitious
buds
● Leaf cuttings do not include an
axillary bud therefore,
 Root Cutting

● These are usually taken from a 2 to 3 year

old plant during their dormant season.
● Some species will produce new shoots
which will produce their own root
systems. Whereas in other plants, the
root system will develop first then the
shoots develop.
 Split Vein

● Leaf from a stock plant is

detached and the veins
are cut on the lower leaf
surface
● The new cutting is laid
down on it’s lower side on
the medium
Sources:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-propagation-by-stem-cuttings
-instructions-for-the-home-gardener
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/abelia/
planting-abelia-bushes.htm

https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-002/426-002.html

Parker, Rick. “Plant Propagation.” Plant and Soil Science: Fundamentals and Applications,
by Rick Parker, Delmar Cengage Learning, 2010, pp. 349–359.