How to Clone Plants With Only a Pot, Water & Dirt

Overview

Cloning is a method of plant propagation that allows you to choose plants with desirable qualities such as hardiness, color or gender. While it may sound complicated, cloning is a process that has been used by gardeners and farmers for centuries. There are commercially available root hormone preparations available for cloning that ensure greater success, but these are not necessary to root cuttings from your favorite plants.

Step 1

Take the cuttings from mature plants that haven't started to bud.

Step 2

Fill a pot with sterile potting soil. Wet the soil thoroughly to prepare it for the cuttings.

Step 3

Take a 2- to 5-inch cutting with clean, sharp scissors. Make a diagonal cut in the stem right below a leaf node, where a leaf protrudes from the stem. Strip away any leaves from the bottom of the stem. Place the cuttings into a glass of water to soak for at least 10 minutes.

Step 4

Make holes in the soil with your pinky finger 1 to 2 inches deep, depending on the length of the cuttings. Place the cuttings into the holes and tamp down the area around them so they stand up. Gently water around the stems, taking care not to knock them over.

Step 5

Place the pot in a location that gets warm, indirect sunlight. Keep the soil around the cuttings very moist.

Step 6

Re-pot or transplant the cuttings when they have set roots. Check the cuttings after a month to see if they have rooted; some cuttings can take longer than a month to root. Gently tug on the cuttings to determine if they have taken root. If there is resistance, the stem has roots.