When a houseplant needs to be reproduced, many people reach for a knife. Cutting cuttings is a simple and successful propagation method that, with a little basic knowledge and the right approach, hardly causes any problems.
Offshoots need good soil so they can root quickly
Choose the best time
If you want to cut offshoots from a houseplant, you should choose an overcast and mild day in spring. The plants are at best just before the new vegetation period, so that both the mother plant and the cuttings have good conditions for growth.
cut cuttings
Choose healthy and strong mother plants and make sure that the offshoots are a few centimeters long and have at least two leaves. Use a sharp and disinfected knife so that neither bruises occur nor pathogens are transmitted.
Establish the growth base
Cuttings thrive in a nutrient-poor substrate. If the soil offers too many nutrients, the offshoots will not develop a compact root system. Also ensure a permeable structure so that the irrigation water seeps away optimally and there is no waterlogging. If you don't want to use potting soil from the garden market, you can make your own high-quality substrate:
- part quality garden soil
- a portion fully mature compost
- part sand, perlite or lava gravel
complete plant pots
Fill the mixture into a clay pot and drill a hole about two centimeters long in the substrate. Stick the cutting into the soil and pile up the planting material around the base. By gently pressing the cuttings get more stability. Penetrating irrigation ensures that there is better contact between the interface and soil particles.
In order for the offshoot to develop roots quickly, proper care is of great importance. Place the jar in a bright spot out of direct sun. Regular spraying ensures a moist environment so that the shoot does not dry out. In the greenhouse, the risk of drying out is lower and the ambient temperatures remain constant. However, you must ensure daily ventilation, because mold spores also thrive in this humid microclimate.
tips
To support rooting, you can dust the cut with a special rooting powder.