How to Plant Root Cuttings

Planting root cuttings is a good way of growing new plants from plants that you already have in your house or garden. By simply cutting pieces of plant roots, new plants can be propagated. Any plant that sprouts from its roots is a good candidate to use when planting root cuttings. Here's how to plant root cuttings.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• plant
• Plant pot or garden flat
• Potting or garden soil
• Garden clippers or shears
• Water
• Plant
• Twine or string
• Bucket or large pot
• Sand, peat moss or sawdust
• Garden soil
• Small garden shovel

Plant Small Root Cuttings

1. Cut your small root cuttings off a plant in 1 to 2 inch pieces using garden clippers or shears. Make a straight cut on the end of the root nearest the parent plant and make a slanted cut on the end of the root farthest away from the parent plant.

2. Place the root cuttings in your growing medium. You can either place the root cuttings upright in a pot filled 3/4 of the way with soil or horizontally in a growing flat filled 3/4 of the way with soil.

3. Root your cuttings in a pot with the tops of the roots (the straight cut ends) just below the soil surface. If you're going to use a growing flat, then lay the cuttings horizontally on the growing medium and cover with approximately a half an inch of soil.

4. Moisten your roots with water and then cover your growing pot or flat with a plastic bag or plastic wrap to keep the cuttings in a humid environment.

5. Wait for new root growth to appear. Look beneath the soil to see this growth and remove the plastic cover when it appears.

Plant Large Root Cuttings

1. Cut your root cuttings off the plant that you wish to propagate using garden clippers or shears. For plants with large roots, make your cuttings between 2 and 6 inches in length. Make a straight cut on the end of the root nearest the parent plant and make a slanted cut on the end of the root farthest away from the parent plant.

2. Tie your root cuttings together into a bundle using twine or string. Keep similar ends of the root cuttings next to each other in your bundle.

3. Store your bundle of root cuttings for approximately 3 weeks in a large plant pot or a bucket. Keep the cuttings at approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cover them with either sand, peat moss or moist sawdust.

4. Take your bundle of cuttings out of storage when they start putting on growth.

5. Place the cuttings outdoors 2 to 3 inches apart in garden soil. Use a small garden shovel to dig holes in the garden soil for your cuttings. Put the end of the cutting with the straight cut edge closest to the ground surface. The tops of your cuttings should be between 2 and 3 inches below the ground surface. Cover the cuttings with garden soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your root cuttings every week for growth.

• Remove the plastic covering over your cuttings for a few minutes every few days to vent the cuttings. Be sure to replace the plastic covering when your finish airing out the roots.

• Some examples of plants that can be used are phlox, trumpet vine, rose and blackberry.

• Different plants may have different requirements for how far apart the root cuttings should be placed in garden soil. Be sure to follow these requirements for your specific plants.

• You can take root cuttings from a plant that is currently planted at any time. Simply, dig your plant up from the ground or out of a pot before clipping off your root cuttings. Alternatively, you can clip cuttings off of a new parent plant before you plant it.