The perfect tools to use for making cuttings!

Who doesn’t like to make cuttings? We know we do! Propagate your plants into many more and fill up all the empty spaces in your home. Seeing how your new plant develops a new leaf and turns into a full, mature plant is the most beautiful thing ever, if you ask us.

There are many things that can make propagating a lot easier! In this blog we will tell you everything about the tools and substrates that will help your cutting thrive. It will definitely save you a lot of time that you can spend on your other plant babies! Are you curious yet? Well let’s begin!

Making the cut

First things first. To make the actual cutting, you will need a good pair of shears. Pruning shears are especially designed for making cuttings. The Edward Pruning Shears are super easy to use and are smaller than regular shears. This will help you to make a cutting on the right spot without having to worry about other parts of your plant being cut. Besides that, they are super sharp! So be careful when you are using this one!These shears will make taking cuttings as easy as it can be!

Make sure to always disinfect your tools before using them on your plants. This will make sure no cross contamination will happen.

Let them root!

After making your cutting it’s time to let them root! A great option could be to use propagation tubes. These are perfect to root cuttings in. They are made from clear glass, which makes it super easy to keep an eye on your plants’ roots. The tubes are narrow and tall, which makes sure that you're able to only let the node touch the water in the tube. Besides being super practical, they also look absolutely amazing!

There are different types of propagation tubes, single tube stations like Propagation Station and Propagation tubes. Or you can choose to have a station with multiple tubes, like Julia Propagation Station.

Would you rather let your cuttings root in soil? Substrates are the way to go! All of our substrates have their own abilities and can be used on their own, but making a mixture will make sure your plant will be extra happy.

Cutting soil

Cutting soil is a smooth mix that is perfect for your new cuttings. This soil allows water and nutrients to be distributed evenly. It’s a great mixture to use on it’s own, but it gets even better when you mix it with other substrates like the following.

Sphagnum moss

Sphagnum moss is great to add to your cutting soil.This moss is really good at holding water! Sphagnum moss can also be used very well on it’s own, since your cutting can root really well into the moss. If you combine this with other substrates, the moss will make sure that the soil mixture will not dry out quickly.

Perlite Grains

Another substrate you can add to your soil mix are perlite grains. These little roasted volcanic rocks really help to keep soil mixture light and will make sure that the soil mixture will drain well. This will reduce the chance of having soil that is too wet and prevents your plant from getting root rot.

Vermiculite

This substrate is made from puffed stones. Vermiculite is very light weight and allows roots to develop very easily! It is very good at holding water and distributes water evenly. Exactly what your cuttings need!

Rooting powder

With all these beautiful substrates, Rooting Powder can’t miss! This powder will give your cuttings a boost with developing roots. Wet the bottom of the stem and just dip it in the powder before potting it and roots will develop beautifully in your mixed substrates!

Now it’s time to get ready and experiment with mixing your substrates. If you would like some help with mixing, you can also take a look at our blog The perfect potting soil mix for your houseplants!

Growing and repotting

A great way to let your babies grow faster is by placing them in a humid environment like a greenhouse. Another great option is to use pots with matching growing hoods, like the Hagrid Grow House and Hagrid Grow Pot. This combination provides the same environment for your cuttings!

Terracotta Pots are also a great option. These pots are loved by many and we understand why! Terracotta and plants have been friends since forever. Terracotta allows water to be absorbed and distributed evenly to your plants. Because of this they have a self-watering ability, which makes keeping our plants moist and happy really easy!

A Potting Mat allows you to repot without getting dirt everywhere. This mat has snap fasteners on every corner to create some ‘mini walls’ to keep all the dirt inside.The material is waterproof and easy to clean. Now your surface stays clean, wouldn’t you prefer to keep your hands clean as well? A Potting Shovel allows you to scoop up your soil, which lets you create the perfect mixture and fill your plant pots without getting your hands dirty.

Shine the lights!

We all know that our plant babies need light to grow. Sometimes it can be hard to provide your plants with all the light they need, especially during winter when the days are short and dark. Grow lights are the perfect solution for this!

There are a few options when you are looking for the perfect growlight. You can choose to place a bulb in a regular lamp, like the Henry Grow Light Bulbs. This can be a great way to use lamps that you already have and transform them into grow lights for your babies! When you do not have a lamp to reuse, there are also other grow lights. The Leah Grow Light can be placed directly in the soil, which makes it super easy to install.

Supporting friends

After cutting, rooting and growing your cutting into a small plant, there’s only one thing missing: a supporting friend. Plantsupports make sure that your plant will grow upward beautifully. For our climbing plants it can also stimulate growth, which we will never say no to!

Bamboo Sticks are a great and simple way to give your plant some extra support. These sticks can be placed inside the pot next to your plant. You only have to attach your plant onto the pole by using some Clips or binders. Mosspoles can also be super beneficial to the aerial roots of your climbing friend, since they really can grab themselves into the pole. Mosspoles can also be made from scratch with some Sphagnum moss. A great way to let your creativity flow with our DIY: make your own moss pole and let your climbing plant thrive!

Looking for a plantsupport that is a bit more extravagant? Plant Stakes can be what you're looking for! These stakes come in super cool shapes, like Zigzag, Squiggle, Arch-shaped and Pin-shaped. These will make sure that your plants transform into real eye-catchers!

As you can see, there are many tools that will help you to take cuttings and let your new babies grow into beautiful and mature plants. Hopefully we’ve inspired you to get creative and start cutting your plants. Our Propagation Kit and Propagation Substrate Kit include lots of tools and substrates that will get you fully equipped to start propagating your PLNTS! Happy growing!