Free Plants: The Secrets to Successful Propagation

Don’t throw away those trimmings or overripe fruits and vegetables; both could provide a new bounty

Taking cuttings from plants allows them to flourish and gives you starters for more plants.(Budimir Jevtic/Shutterstock)

The cost of nursery plants can quickly add up. This makes cutting roots, saving seeds, and dividing clumping plants an easy and effective way to save money and have a great harvest.

Understanding Cuttings

There are three main types of cuttings. Softwood is the most common method in the vegetable garden, taking non-woody cuttings from new growth. A high percentage of these cuttings root, often quickly. Some examples are mint, basil, tomatoes, and vining plants such as beans and cucumbers.

Semi-hardwood cuttings—the soft, new growth from semi-hardwood plants such as rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme—are taken later in the season (July to fall) after the first flush of new growth when the branch is a semi-woody mix of new and old growth.

Hardwood cuttings are taken at the end of the season after the first frost, when the plant has gone dormant, from the current or prior season’s new growth. Plants propagated at this stage include figs and grapes.

Most softwood cuttings will also root well in water when taken from active new growth, and you’ll see the new roots appear in real time. (Opas Chotiphantawanon/Shutterstock)

Snip and Plant

While the methods of cuttings differ slightly, all cuttings are taken about a quarter-inch beneath a node, at the bump where the leaves connect.

The next time you trim back a tomato plant for better airflow or enhanced veggie production, take the cutting below a node if possible. Do the same for a cucumber that is overrunning the garden (this also allows it to focus more on flower and fruit production). With a few easy steps, they can both become additional plants to fill in bare spaces, act as the basis of a succession planting, or be shared with fellow gardeners. Overripe fruits and vegetables that have gone past their eating stage traditionally provide the best seeds, as they have become fully matured.

For softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings, take a three- to four-inch section of healthy new softwood or semi-hardwood growth. Remove the lower leaves and any flower buds (which will take energy away from the rooting process), and dip the cutting in rooting hormone. Poke a hole in a pot or a seedling tray filled with potting or seed starting mix with a pencil, insert the cutting, press the soil around it gently, and water lightly. You’ll want to keep the cuttings lightly moist but not overly wet until new growth appears.

For hardwood cuttings, which can range from four to 12 inches, cut beneath a node on the bottom and snip off the newest growth from the tip with an angled cut to help prevent it from rotting.

Some gardeners opt to put potted semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings in a closed bag, which they open every few days to let fresh air in, or cover them with plastic to create an environment that keeps the soil moist but not overly wet; this is particularly important for varietals that can take weeks or months to root. Heat mats may also be used to keep the cutting at an optimal 65 to 75 degrees F until new growth appears. All cuttings should be placed in a well-lit area but out of direct sunlight.

The next time you trim back a tomato plant for better airflow or enhanced veggie production, take the cutting below a node if possible. (PeterPike/Shutterstock)

A Jar of Water

Most softwood cuttings will also root well in water when taken from active new growth, and you’ll see the new roots appear in real time. In fact, it might be fun to try both methods—water and soil—to discover what works best for each plant.

Take a three- to four-inch cutting (or slightly longer as they’ll be well-hydrated), below the node. Remove the bottom leaves, making sure the cutting has several healthy leaves, but none beneath the surface of the water, where they can rot. Set it in a warm, bright spot but out of direct sun, which can “boil” the water. For faster sprouting, dip the cuttings in rooting hormone before putting them in water. Refresh the water as needed.

Trimming back a cucumber plant allows it to focus more on flower and cucumber production. (Kapa1966/Shutterstock)

Seed Savers

Some gardeners only save seeds from heirloom plants, as they know they will grow true. But hybrids can be fun too, as long as one keeps in mind that the resulting plants may not look like the original, which may be disappointing. But you won’t know unless you try. Dry seeds from grains, lettuce, beans, etc., are straightforward: Simply harvest them when they are hard and dry.

For “wet” seeds, allow the fruit to ripen fully, leaving an eggplant, cucumber, or summer squash on the plant until it becomes overripe. Then extract the seeds from the fruit’s pulp. If they are going to be used the following season, you may be able to get away with simply drying them on a paper towel. The most tried and true route, however, is to place the seeds in a jar of water and allow them to ferment (which removes any germination-inhibiting substances on the seed coat), with the bonus that bad seeds will float to the top. Stir the water occasionally to prevent mold. Once a frothy white substance (yeast) completely covers the surface, pour it off, place the remaining seeds in a strainer, rinse thoroughly, and allow to dry. Properly stored, they’ve been known to last up to a decade.

Putting cuttings into a jar of water gives them time to grow a root system.(AngieYeoh/Shutterstock)

Divide and Conquer

Whether it’s clumping perennials, runners and stolons, or offsets, there’s nothing better than a plant that has babies.

Proper Timing

If bunching onions, for example, are so overrun that they’re dying in the middle, divide them immediately. Otherwise, divide plants in spring or fall, but not in the high heat of summer, when plants are channeling their energy into rapid foliage and flower growth.

Lift It All

While there’s a temptation to simply stick a scoop or shovel into the ground and dig clumping or offset new growth, unless you’re dealing with a large banana, lift the entire group to make sure each piece has leaves, stems, and roots, and avoid unnecessary damage to the parent.

Prevent Transplant Shock

With the exception of runners and chicks, root disturbance is part of the separation process. Water the new plantings thoroughly and often, nurturing them as you would new seedlings until they reestablish.