To help ensure
that your fresh cuttings get the tender loving care that they need –
without too much effort from your end – start by collecting some
mineral water bottles. Yes, those ordinary, ubiquitous clear plastic
bottles. Each one is just the right size to cover one stem cutting.
Cut off the bottom of the bottle, and after your stem cuttings are
firmly planted in their pots, you can cover them with one bottle each
so you provide each plant an instant, miniature greenhouse! It keeps
the moisture in and the wind out while still letting the sun through.
And best of all, it’s one nifty way of recycling those all-pervading
bottles!
Next,
get yourself some three to four inch stem cuttings. Select branches that are fairly young; not too
young that they are still too tender and not too old that they have become
too rigid or woody. Use sharp, clean scissors or pruning shears to do this.
To ensure that the mother plant will continue to produce lush growth for you
after you harvest the cuttings, cut the plant at
a
growth nodule. That is, cut right above a point where small leaves are
growing outward so that these nodes will be stimulated to grow into new
stems on the mother plant.
Leave most of the leaves
on but do remove the bottom leaves from the cuttings. Then scrape a few
“wounds” into the cut end of the stems. This is to facilitate the growth of
new roots. Immerse the tip of the cuttings in pure liquid seaweed such as Freegrow,
available at
GreenHearts The Garden Shop. This is all organic and rich in natural plant hormones that will
help stimulate growth of roots. Leave them there for about a minute. Another
option is rooting hormone solutions found in garden stores. If you choose to
use these, follow the instructions on the label.
Protect
them from soil-borne
diseases by filling the pots with PLANTASTIC. It's clean and
devoid of the diseases and pests found in garden soil that could endanger
your tender cuttings. PLANTASTIC
also has the right balance of ingredients mild enough for stem cuttings.
Moisten the potting mix thoroughly using water mixed with a
tiny amount of liquid seaweed, an excellent organic fertilizer. Make sure
your pots have adequate drainage holes.
Plant each cutting and firm it
into place.
Cover each stem cutting with a bottle. It would be best if the leaves don’t
touch the bottle. If they do, trim the leaves so they are left on the stem
to process the new plant’s food, but they don’t brush against the bottle
which could lead to diseases or rotting.
Place the pots (bottles and all) in partial shade. That means
an area that receives bright but indirect sunlight. If you had moistened the
potting mix thoroughly upon planting, it may be unnecessary for you to water
the pots for a week or two. But check on your pots regularly just to be
sure. If the water condensation inside the bottle gets too thick, remove the
bottle cap for about an hour to allow some of the water to evaporate then
replace the cap. On the other hand, if the potting mix dries out, water it
gently, being careful not to disturb the cutting.
If everything goes well, the
cuttings shouldn’t even show any signs of wilting. Most new plants may
be uncovered in about a week, others may need another week or two.
Start acclimatizing your new plants to the “real” world by removing
the bottle caps late in the afternoon. Then, at sundown about a day or
two later, remove the bottle entirely while still keeping the plant in
partial shade.
As the plant starts to look sturdier, you can slowly
introduce it to more sun if it’s the kind that likes to grow in full sun.
Once you see new roots peeping through the drainage holes of your small pot,
it’s time to repot your new plant into a pot one size bigger. Ornamentals
can continue to grow in Plantastic, or you can opt to use Plantastic
LOW MAINTENANCE. Edible plants can now be transplanted into ENRICO or
MEDITERRANEA. Once you
see new growth, celebrate! Your new plant is growing healthy and is
comfortable in its new home!
