Tips for Propagating Cuttings

Once you receive the cuttings, rinse them with warm soapy water, try to avoid harsh chemicals that could damage the live tissue. Dry the cuttings with a paper towel trim edges with a knife or clippers to expose fresh tissue. Make sure to sanitize your tools before making new cuts. Place the cuttings in a cup with warm water for a few minutes so they get a chance to rehydrate.

Once cuttings have rehydrated, dry with paper tower and place aside. Mkae strips with the PARAFILM tape. Remove the paper backing from the PARAFILM tape and gently wrap it around the cutting. It is advice to cover all the area of the cutting that will be above soil level. The PARAFILM tape prevents the cutting from drying during the propagation process.

It is important that you label your containers ahead of time. Plain plastic cups can be used here, just make sure you make orifices at the bottom to prevent water from accumulating. A good draining container is key for preventing excess moisture.

Grow hormone can help induce root generation. We don’t endorse any specific brand but have seen good results with CLONEX.

Use a small knife and scrape a small region at the bottom of the cutting. Try to expose some fresh tissue but avoid cutting deep into the cutting. Put a small amount of the growth hormone in a disk and then brush some of the liquid into the exposed tissue. Use a moderate amount as excess hormone could have adverse effects.

We advise using a sterilized or high-quality growing media. We do not endorse any specific brand but have found very good results using PRO-MIX HP and variants that include BIOFUNGICIDE and MYCORRHIZAE.

Add hot water to the dry media and slowly mix. The right point of moisture is achieved once a small amount of water is able to drip from your hands when pressing a handful of the material. If too much water drips, just add more of the dry media. Allow the media to rest for a few minutes before filling up the plastic containers.

Place the cutting into the container and make sure that the PARAFILM covered region does not extend beyond 1 in into the soil.

The use of heating mats and a digital indoor hygrometer + thermometer can help you regulate the local environment.

Cuttings typically take anything between 1.5 to 3 months to develop roots and grow leaves. The process is lengthy but enjoyable as you witness the cuttings swelling and eventually budding leaves. Some varieties are more vigorous than others. It is advised that you do as little as possible to disrupt them in this stage. Maintain the medium moist but do not overwater. Excess water will cause the cutting to rot. Similarly, handling the cutting at this stage can damage the young roots and have adverse effects.