Planting your favorite herb can often be a true satisfaction. Still, this may turn out to be a complicated process and sometimes get on your nerves.
The procedure of planting repeats itself and the waiting process is always a pain in the neck.
However, if you prepare by doing solid research and background on the planting process, you will succeed in it with flying colors. Researchers have been discovering new and upgraded ways to do the planting process easier, and we list the m all below.
If you decide to grow plants from cuttings, you will speed up the process significantly, instead of just going through with the planting from scratch or with seeds.
Growing plants from cuttings will enable you to have the same plants you had before, which will this time around, grow stronger and faster. In case you go with seeds planting or planting from scratch, you expose the plant to failure in growth or providing less fruits.
Cuttings are more popular than seeds, since you get to replicate and replant the very same healthy plant you already planted. You can always exchange cuttings with your friends and ease the planting process tremendously.
In some cases, the plants do not have seeds, so cutting is the only option.
If you want to grow plants from cuttings, you have to pay attention to the following:
- The types of cuttings
- The process of rooting the cuttings
- The list of plants which you can grow from cuttings
Types of Cuttings
Certain plants and herbs can be grown from various stem parts, or even the root or leaves.
Hardwood cuttings: these cuttings are picked in fall and winter and should be ready by spring. You can take them from woody and mature stems, and the preparation process starts once the shrubs begin shedding leaves.
If you do this right, by spring, your plant will grow enough roots to be planted.
Softwood cuttings: these cuttings are taken from newly grown stems and are kept until they grow a root, which happens quickly. The best time to take these cuttings is in spring and will be ready for planting in the same period next year.
Semi-ripe cuttings: these cuttings are a combination of the first two. In this case, the roots need more time to grow, so the best time to take these cuttings in summer and the warmth will help them grow.
Heel cuttings: to take these cuttings, you need an old and mature root, mostly from the parent plant.
Tip cuttings: these cuttings are meant for plants that are still growing, so the growing tip (about 6 to 8 inches) is taken.
Basal cuttings: to take these cuttings, they have to be 6 to 10 inches long and cut as close to the main stem as possible.
Leaf cuttings: some plants, such as the succulents, provide cuttings from their leaves, and other plants like begonias and snake plants, provide cuttings from the stem.
Stem sections: cane-forming plants are sometimes grown from their long stems. When taking cuttings, make sure they are even, and make sure you recognize the root.
Root sections: certain plants offer better root cuttings instead of stem cuttings. Such plant is the Californian tree poppy or the sumac.
Rooting the Cuttings
Once you have collected the cuttings, you have to initiate the rooting process. In some cases, like with the fleshy stems, you have to keep the cuttings a couple of days just so you can form a callus or woody cuttings- remove the outer layer, so you can expose the cambial tissue completely.
When your cuttings are ready, the one thing you need to be mindful of is to keep them moist. To do so, combine sand or perlite and peat moss- this will keep the cuttings moist.
Also, fertilizers are not recommended and the same goes for garden soil. By covering the pots, you will enable the cuttings to grow in a humid environment and enable them to grow faster.
Still, it is important to know that while moisture is relevant, drainage is too. So, if you grow roots in the water, they may become fragile and you have to handle them with caution.
When you are growing a plant that needs more time to root, you can use hormones, but not fertilizers.
Read the full article: naturallivingideas.com