| A good gardening tip is that you can make more | | | | Equal parts sand, perlite, vermiculite or peat moss |
| plants from your existing house and garden plants. | | | | instead of vermiculite. |
| This will cut out the expense of buying new house | | | | Start by dipping the bottom inch of the stem cutting |
| and garden plants. Look around for healthy plants to | | | | into the water and then the rooting hormone. This |
| take the stem cuttings from to plant in a peat moss | | | | will help to speed up the creation of roots. The |
| mixture using rooting hormone. This is what is called | | | | rooting hormone stimulates the stem cutting to send |
| the mother plant. Make sure the mother plant has | | | | out new roots from the node. You will need to dip |
| enough stems so the cutting will not kill the mother | | | | the cutting into the water and then into the rooting |
| plant. | | | | hormone. Tap off the excess as to not jeopardize |
| If you start your house and garden plants from stem | | | | your success with this stem cutting. If, after you |
| cuttings instead of seeds it will take half the time to | | | | have finished with your stem cuttings you have |
| root. There a just a few things you will need : a | | | | some of the rooting hormone left, throw it away. |
| mother plant, a flat for potting with a peat moss | | | | Once a stem cutting has touched it the rooting |
| mixture, a sharp knife or razor blade, rooting | | | | hormone becomes activated. |
| hormone, containers for holding water and rooting | | | | Moisten the peat moss potting mixture and poke |
| hormone, alcohol, pencil or a stick, and a plastic bag. | | | | holes in it to accommodate your plants. By making |
| Common sense tells you that you should take a | | | | holes in the peat moss rooting medium with the |
| stem cutting from the plant's thickest green non | | | | pencil or the stick it will ensure that the rooting |
| flowering stems. The spot where the leaf attaches | | | | hormone remains on the cutting, not on the potting |
| to the stem, known as the node, are the best place | | | | mixture surface. This will improve chances of rooting |
| for you to take the stem cutting. The plants growth | | | | the stem cuttings and creating new house or garden |
| rooting hormones are concentrated there. Choose | | | | plants. After you have successfully placed the stem |
| green, non-woody stems for taking the stem | | | | cutting in the medium, gently press the potting |
| cuttings from the mother plant. Newer growth is | | | | mixture around it. You should plant your cuttings |
| easier to root than woody stems. | | | | about 4-5 inches apart to allow for air circulation and |
| Cut with a sterilized instrument, either a very sharp | | | | room to root. |
| knife or a razor blade, just below the node and then | | | | Place the container into a plastic bag and put it in a |
| make another slanted cut about two or three inches | | | | warm spot in the house. The reason for the bag is |
| further up the plant. This should provide you a stem | | | | to keep the stem cuttings in high humidity and to |
| cutting about three inches in length with two or three | | | | hold in heat. You are creating a mini Greenhouse that |
| nodes. Trim off the side shoots and remove most of | | | | takes up very little space. Don't seal the bag as you |
| the leaves leaving a few since the stem cutting will | | | | need to allow for air circulation. Only after you see |
| need the leaves to provide food. Any large leaves | | | | new growth should the cuttings be placed in a sunny |
| must be removed as their wilting stresses the stem | | | | area. Keep checking you stem cuttings. If the bag |
| cutting and will definitely slow down the rooting | | | | shows condensation you are likely giving it too much |
| process. | | | | moisture. Take off the bag and let it dry out a little. |
| With your sterilized instrument make a clean cut in | | | | The way to test for new root growth is to gently |
| the bottom node. The roots will be formed from the | | | | pull on the plant after a few weeks. If there is |
| sliced node. | | | | resistance the plants are ready to be transferred into |
| Fill a clean plant pot or container with a peat moss | | | | individual pots. Now you will have a new plant that |
| potting mix to hold your stem cuttings for rooting. By | | | | you have cultivated from the mother plant. |
| using a peat moss potting mix you are giving the | | | | Now use all these gardening tips and grow some new |
| plant an atmosphere where the cutting will stay | | | | plants using stem cuttings. |
| moist, not wet and sloppy. | | | | Happy Gardening! |
| You can make your own peat moss mixture; here | | | | Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved. |
| are a couple of recipes: | | | | This article may be distributed freely on your website |
| ½ sand and ½ peat moss or | | | | and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, |
| ½ perlite and ½ peat moss or | | | | copyright notice, links and the resource box are |
| ½ sand and ½ vermiculite or | | | | unchanged. |
| ½ perlite and ½ vermiculite or | | | | |