Basics of taking plant cuttings

Plant shoot cuttings are usually taken from plant growth of the current growing season. Cuttings may be taken from various stages of plant growth. The range of cuttings is from succulent to hardwood. It is not possible to state one type of cutting which is useful for all plants.
Adjust the timing to take cuttings based upon the locale.
Cutting for most plants propagated in the greenhouse can usually be taken at any time. Cuttings from deciduous plants are usually taken in early summer. Cutting should not usually be taken from the end of a branch nor the top part, rather, in between. Testing and experience will allow you to select at what stage of maturity each type of plant will root best.

Select the 'best' time to take cuttings from the stock plant


Some cutting from the same stock plant may root while others may not. There may be a 'best time' to take cuttings from the plant. Rooting of cuttings is affected by many variables. Some plants have different rooting ability at different times of the year. A few weeks difference in taking of cuttings may produce success or failure. Woody plants are especially influenced by timing. After a certain age, often years, some plants may even have difficulty producing cutting viable to produce roots.

Juvenile cuttings

Some plants produce better rooting when cuttings are taken from juvenile parts of the plant. When taking shoot cuttings from the same stock plant at the same time some cuttings may have different rooting ability. While a cutting may be young in growth age they may be old relative to the stem from which the cutting is taken. Physically young cuttings taken from the top of a two year old tree branch may exhibit root initiation performance as if they were two year old cuttings.

Cuttings taken from near the base of the plant may exhibit rooting characteristics similar to the real age of the cuttings; months old rather than years old. One reason may be the position of the shoots on the plant. Current years shoots may root different from second year shoots. Shoots from the lower part of the plant may have less sunlight than the upper shoots. The upper shoots may be a few weeks older than the lower shoots. Younger shoots need less stimulation, to root than older shoots; use a lower Rhizopon AA or Hortus IBA Water Soluble Salts concentration. The younger shoots require a more stable propagation environment.

Sometimes it is beneficial to induce juvenility by maintaining relatively young mother plants or to hedge the young mother plants. Pruning of the mother plants should be limited since the mother plant must constantly produce energy to produce new shoots. Change the mother plants frequently to induce better quality cuttings.