Make More Plants from Cuttings

Many common garden plants root easily from cuttings, giving you full-grown plants in half the time it takes to start from seed.

There are several types of cuttings you can use to propagate your plants. These cuttings use different kinds of stems. Happily, you can treat them pretty much the same way.

Softwood cuttings are from fresh, new growth, usually in spring or early summer. Plants such as butterfly bush and dogwoods root well from softwood cuttings.

Greenwood cuttings are from young stems that are starting to mature, but still in the first year. They're usually taken in early to midsummer. Plants such as gardenia and boxwood tend to root well from greenwood cuttings.

Semi-ripe cuttings are tougher and more mature. They're usually taken from midsummer to fall. Plants such as camellia and honeysuckle often root well from semi-ripe cuttings.

Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody stems that have gone dormant in late fall or winter. Trees and shrubs such as mock orange and viburnum often root well from hardwood cuttings.

• Sharp knife or pruning shears
• Containers for potting up the cuttings
• Potting mix, perlite, vermiculite, or sand
• Rooting hormone