How to Reroot a Plant

Most plants will root from cuttings.

Plants can be very expensive to purchase, but you can root the plants you already have to grow more for free. It doesn't matter whether you want to multiply some of your houseplants, flowers, bushes, vines or trees; the majority of plants can be propagated from cuttings. A cutting is part of the parent plant, such as a stem or branch that roots to form a new identical plant. The type of cutting required depends on the plant, but the process typically is the same.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Rooting hormone
• Small plastic bag
• Pot
• Potting soil
• Straws
• Large plastic bag
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Fill a pot with top-quality potting mix. Only use pots with drainage holes and drain trays. One 6-inch pot can hold several cuttings.

2. Dampen the potting mix. Make holes 3 inches deep using a straw and space the holes about 2 or 3 inches apart.

3. Cut stem or branch sections 6 inches long from healthy plants. Gather more than you need in case some do not root. Collect the cuttings early in the morning on the day you plan to plant them.

4. Remove any leaves on the bottom 3 inches of the cutting. Cut off any flowers or buds on the upper portion and cut large leaves in half.

5. Put some of the rooting hormone into a small plastic bag. Dip the lower part of the cutting into the bag and then shake the cutting. Carefully insert one cutting in each hole without removing the rooting hormone.

6. Put two or three straws on the outer rim of the pot and then cover the pot with a large plastic bag. The straws will keep the bag from touching the cuttings, and the bag will hold moisture in. Make a few cuts in the bag to allow air circulation around the cuttings.

7. Place the pot in a location with indirect sunlight. Check the cuttings a few times a week and use a spray bottle as needed to keep the soil moistened.

8. Gently pull on the cuttings after a month to check for roots. If you feel a resistance, the plant is forming roots. Wait two more weeks or longer to check again, if no resistance is felt.

9. Remove the bag and continue to water as needed to maintain moist soil until the cuttings are transplanted. Transplant the cuttings into individual pots to grow larger before planting them outside.

Tips & Warnings

• The amount of time needed for cuttings to root could be as soon as a few weeks or up to several months, depending on the plant.

References

• Purdue University Cooperative Extension; New Plants From Cuttings; Mary Welch-Keesey, et al.; August 2009
• North Carolina State University; Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings; Erv Evans, et al.; January 1999

Resources

• Washington State University; Propagating Shrubs, Trees and Vines with Stem Cuttings; F.E. Larsen