ENN: Environmental News Network [[ ENN Garden Tutorials ]]
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What you need:
The first thing to do when taking a cutting from a broad-leafed evergreen is pinch off the main growing tip. This prevents the cutting from putting any energy into new foliage or flower growth. It also prevents transpiration of water to the growing tip. |
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| Next, trim off all of the lower leaves. The cutting needs only a few leaves at the top. |
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| Gather the remaining leaves into a bunch and trim them to half their original size. This, too, prevents unnecessary transpiration of water. |
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| The finished cutting should be about 3-4″ long. Make a cut just below a node to shorten the cutting to the proper size. |
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| Dip the bottom 1″ of the cutting in rooting hormone and tap off the excess. The ends of cuttings can be wet, causing rooting hormones to cake. Put a little rooting hormone in a separate dish and dip cuttings in. |
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| Fill a 6″ pot with moist seedling or cutting mix and level it off. Use a pencil to make a 2″-deep planting hole. Insert the cutting in the hole. |
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| Firm around the cutting to eliminate any air spaces and to ensure good contact between the stem and the surrounding soil. Place the potted cutting in a warm spot that receives filtered sunlight. If you have a heat pad, it will speed up the rooting process. |