Propagating with Makhro Roots

It is always exciting to try something new. Why not develop a new gardening skill, like learning how to propagate plants from cuttings? Did you know that every cell of a plant has this amazing ability to duplicate all parts and functions? Intrigued yet?

Makhro Home and Garden offers great products that can assist you with this exciting new task. By creating the right conditions, you can easily create new plants from your own existing plants or even from a friend’s. Just make sure that your chosen plant is healthy with plenty of stems, so it won’t be harmed when cuttings are removed.

Before we continue to the cutting and planting part, lets just first answer the million-dollar question… What is the difference between soft, semi-hard, and hardwood cuttings? It is not necessarily determined by the hardness of the plants’ stem, but rather determined by the wood’s maturity from the cutting. These illustrations below can be used to easily determine the maturity of the cuttings:

Note: Do not use the newer (greener) growth that lies to close to the end of the stem. Test it by bending the stem, if it is still too flexible that it does not snap, it is still too green to be used as a softwood cutting and will not be able to produce roots.

Now that you have identified your cutting, you are ready to cut. Look for a healthy stem that is insect and disease free. A cutting should measure anything from 8 to 13 cm including the tip with at least two to three leaves attached, but absent of flower buds. Using a sharp knife, cut at a 45° angle about 2 to 3 cm below the second leaf node. By cutting at a 45° angle it allows for maximum rooting area.

To allow space for the development of new roots, remove the bottom leaves and dip the lower 10 to 20 mm of the cutting into Makhro Root hormone rooting powder. Make sure to make a hole in your chosen plant medium before inserting the cutting, this will prevent any rooting powder from rubbing off the stem. (Some gardeners prefer to dip the cutting into water before dipping it into the hormone powder to ensure coverage.)

Place your new plant in warm and bright light, but not in direct sunlight. Adding humidity might also be beneficial to some plants. After a few days, weeks or in some cases months (depending on the type of plant) the roots will have developed and are ready to be replanted into moist potting soil.

Slightly pull on the plants to determine if roots have developed yet. If you feel some resistance, they are ready to be repotted, but if they pop right out without any resistance, they need more developing time.

Tip: If you are taking cuttings at a friend’s house, place wet paper towels in the container with your cuttings to keep them moist until you get home. Be sure to always take more cuttings than what you will need, as it is likely that not all of them will root.