If you love an outdoor plant but it is too big to bring indoors you have the option of
taking a cutting from that plant. Once you have taken a cutting, you can start a new plant
that is smaller and more appropriate for an indoor garden. Depending on the type of
plant you are taking a cutting from there is a few methods you might want to try.
Taking a cutting from a plant is also known as propagation. If you have a hardwood
plant that you want to propagate the process is slow but easy to do as the cuttings are
quite hardy. Take the cutting (about 5 inches worth) when the tree is dormant (in the
middle of winter) and place the cutting cut-side up in a pail of sand. Fill the pail with
water and wait until spring. Then submersed side will have little nodules that will turn
into roots once planted.
When you are taking a cutting from a soft-wood plant, it will require more care and
attention. Taking cuttings from soft-wood yields quicker results and you do the actually
cutting when the plant is in the active growing phase. You are cutting off the new growth
back to a nodal (from the point it stopped growing the year previous). This method
benefits from the use of a root producing medium found at nursery stores. It is important
to place the cutting (cut-side down) into the root medium immediately. If the cutting
dries out it will lessen the changes of a successful cutting.
Next, pick a pot or container suitable to the type of plant you are growing and plant it
once the roots have developed. At this point, you can follow the regular care instructions
for the type of plant you have just propagated.
