When to plant cuttings

A very effective and fast method of getting new plants is multiplying them by cuttings, which are stems which can be green, semi-woody or woody, and which have no roots. Obtained from those specimens that we like the most, we can decorate the garden or patio without spending money on new plants.

But When to plant cuttings? And how to get it right so that they emit roots as soon as possible?

What types of cuttings are there?

There are five types of cuttings:

• Woody: they are obtained mainly from trees, cutting pieces up to 45cm in length.
• Semi-milky: they are obtained mainly from shrubs, cutting pieces up to 20cm in length.
• Green: they are obtained mainly from flowers or shrubs whose stems have not lignified, cutting pieces of about 10-15cm in length.
• Root: they are obtained from trees such as albizia, olive or fig. Pieces of about 5cm in length are cut.
• Sheet: they are obtained from Echeveria, Haworthia and many indoor plants such as begonias, cutting those leaves that look healthier.

When to plant cuttings?

Plants can be classified in many ways, and one of them is by the behavior of their leaves; that is, whether they are perennial, which means that they remain evergreen throughout the year, or expire when they fall in certain seasons (in temperate climates it is in autumn-winter). So, keeping this in mind, you should know that if they are:

• Deciduous: they are usually cut in autumn and winter. Due to the low temperatures, its growth is practically non-existent, and since it does not have leaves, the loss of sap is much lower, with which the risk of infection is very low.
• Evergreen: They are usually cut in late winter / early spring, just before the plants resume their growth. In the event that you want to multiply by leaf cuttings, you must wait until summer arrives.

How to plant them?

To have them more controlled The ideal is to have them in a pot filled with substrates that facilitate water drainage., like peat mixed with perlite in equal parts, for example. With this type of substrates the proliferation of fungi is prevented, microorganisms capable of killing the cuttings in just a couple of days. For it, proceed as follows:

1. Fill the pot with substrate, almost completely.
2. Infuse the base of the cutting with powdered rooting hormones.
3. Place the cutting inside the pot, in its center.
4. Finish filling the pot, so that the cutting is about 5cm buried. *
5. And finally he waters.

* If they are cuttings of leaves of succulent plants, for them to take root they must be placed on the surface of the substrate, without burying them or very little.

We hope these tips will help you get new plants at zero cost 🙂.