Propagation of woody garden plants by stem cuttings is the most commonly used method of propagation. In fact many houseplants are readily propagated by simple stem cuttings. If the plant in question has stems with regular repeating leaf nodes, then propagation by stem cuttings should provide you with all the plants you desire! Here's what to do.

First, it's a good idea to understand the four basic types of stems that you'll find on a plant. The type of growth that you will use to use for your cuttings will determine what time of year is the best time to make the cut.

Herbaceous stems are the stems of herbaceous plants such as ivys, coleus, marigolds, chrysanthemums and others. These stems are very soft and easily shredded so care must be taken so as not to damage any cuttings during the process. Cuttings from herbaceous plants may be taken any time during active growth, (Spring or Summer).

Softwood stems are found on most perennials (shrubs and trees which live year after year). They are this year's new green growth before it has matured into hardwood. Softwood stems have a gradation in leaf size (smaller, newer leaves out towards the tip). These stems should be used for cuttings during the late Spring and early summer.

Semi-hardwood stems are the mature wood of this year's growth. Stems are now strong and more difficult to snap but still young and vigorous. Cuttings of this type are usually made in early Fall as the growing season winds down.

Hardwood stems are "old wood" from previous seasons. They are rigid and difficult to snap. Typically cuttings from hardwood are made while the plant is dormant during the Winter or early Spring. These types of cuttings are a bit more difficult to establish.

Cuttings are very vulnerable to mold and other pests since they are no longer receiving any help from the parent plant. So it's a good idea to limit possible sources of contamination by being as clean as possible during the process. Make sure the table you're working on is free of debris, soil and water. I like to use a clean, sterilized pocket knife to make cuttings. Clean the blade with soapy water until it's visibly free of dirt. Then it doesn't hurt to rub it down with isopropyl alcohol just to make sure it's clean. Professional greenhouse propagation techniques are much cleaner than this! Finally, choose small 3" starter pots to grow your new stem cuttings in. I often use the same ones over and over, so I clean them with soapy water to avoid contamination from old soil.

Select young (this or last year's growth) vigorous stems. What you're looking for is a stem with 2-3 sets of leaves above the cut. Cut BELOW a set of leaves as shown. Then carefully pull or cut off the set of leaves just above the cut. This is where the new roots will form. Also, if you happen to get any blooms with your cutting, it may be tempting to leave them on the stem, but you should remove them. You want all of the energy of the cutting to go into new root production.

For each cutting I fill 3" pots about 2/3 full with a sterile seed starter mix. This is basically a "soiless" mix. The key here is that the cuttings don't need much nutrition so a rich potting soil isn't necessary. By the time the cuttings get hungry for food, you will transplant them into a new container with a good organic potting soil. A seed starter mix is very light and open, allowing air to flow through it thus preventing the soil from clogging. A clogged, heavy soil will smother the cuttings and cause them to rot. After filling the pots, water them in well so that the medium is soaked. Using a pencil or something similar, make a hole in the middle. This is where the cuttings will be placed.

You COULD just put the cuttings into the soil mixture, but you can also give the cuttings a little extra boost of luck. Rooting hormone is a chemical which helps promote the formation of roots at the end of cuttings. It comes in liquid or powder (I use powder myself) and may also contain a fungicide to keep mold from attacking the wounded plant tissues. I highly recommend using a rooting hormone to speed up and improve your results. It's not expensive and will increase your success significantly.

Now put the leaf cuttings into the holes made in the soil and water them in thoroughly. Make sure that the cutting sits down snugly in the soil and never let the soil dry out. These little cuttings have the best chance of establishing themselves if you give them stable, consistent conditions. I recommend trying to create greenhouse conditions by placing each pot in a clear plasic bag and sealing it. Or take an empty one gallon milk jug and cut away the bottom to form a cloche. Place this over the pot. Place each pot in a bright spot such as a south facing window sill. I find that new leaf cuttings will take about 20-30 days to start growing. When you see a new set of leaves begin to form, you can be sure that the cutting has rooted. After the new set of leaves have fully developed you can go ahead gently transplant the new plants into a new pot of rich organic soil. Your new plant is well on it's way!

Start with a clean work surface, clean pots and a clean sterile knife.

Make the cut below a leaf node leaving 2-3 leaf sets above the cut.

A nice example of a geranium cutting.

A stem cutting after being dipped in powder rooting hormone.

Pots with seed starting mix, watered with hole for the new cutting.

Five stem cuttings ready to start growing.