When a houseplant needs to be reproduced, many people resort to the knife. Cutting cuttings is a simple and successful propagation method that hardly causes any problems with a little basic knowledge and the right procedure.
How do I plant offshoots correctly?
To plant cuttings, you need a nutrient-poor substrate, a permeable structure and a bright location. Place the cutting in a pre-drilled hole, press the substrate lightly and water sufficiently. Aerate and mist regularly to create optimal growing conditions.
Choose the optimal time
If you want to cut offshoots from a houseplant, you should choose an overcast and mild day in spring. At best, the plants are just before the new growing season, so that both the mother plant and the cuttings have good conditions for growth.
Cut cuttings
Choose he althy 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 to avoid bruising or transmitting pathogens.
Create the growth base
Cuttings thrive in a nutrient-poor substrate. If the soil offers too many nutrients, the cuttings will not develop a compact root system. Also ensure a permeable structure so that the irrigation water drains away optimally and no waterlogging occurs. If you don't want to use potting soil from the garden store, you can make your own high-quality substrate:
- one part of quality garden soil
- a portion of fully mature compost
- a part of sand, perlite or lava grit
Complete plant pots
Pour the mixture into a clay pot and drill a hole about two centimeters long in the substrate. Insert the cutting into the soil and mound the planting material around the base. Pressing lightly gives the cutting more stability. Penetrating irrigation ensures that there is better contact between the interface and soil particles.
Proper care is very important so that the offshoot develops roots quickly. Place the container in a bright location out of direct sun. By spraying regularly you can ensure a moist environment so that the shoots do not dry out. In the greenhouse, the risk of drying out is lower and the ambient temperatures remain constant. However, you have to pay attention to daily ventilation, because mold spores also feel comfortable in this humid microclimate.
Tip
To support root formation, you can dust the interface with a special rooting powder.
