Top 10 Easiest to Grow from Cuttings

that is right, cheap air pump and air stone and some t connectors for the tubing so you can do several jars at once. search the propagation forum for bubbler and I am sure you can find it. In fact there was a recent posting so you could probably find it on the main page of the forum.

Creeping Charlie is so easy! I know I know it's "invasive" even, but I have them in pots around larger plants, and all I have to do is snapp a piece and stick it in the next pot...

Flowering Maple (Abutilon) how do you get this to root? I have no luck.

Wow that's interesting, thanks. I had no idea about this way of starting rootings! It still sounds like a lot of parts though....Maybe next year!

so i broke off a large thick leave of an aloe type plant--i stuck it into dirt --is that enough to start a new plant? do i keep it wet or let it dry?

zinnia I found this on rooting abutilon http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/175446/

My easiest are
dahlias,
Impatiens
Coleus
Marguerite daisies
Mums
asters
Sedum
willows and curly willow (you can buy a start of the curly willow from any florist at any time of year)

And they are all pathetically easy.

I am hopefully going to add annual begonias to the list in a couple weeks, but they haven't rooted yet ;)

Suzy

I'm going to try Begonias too! I hope they are as easy as Coleus!

i am going to try again--will just sticking my broken off aloe type leave into dry dirt be enough--or do i keep it wet?

I would keep it damp, but never over-watered. (not good for roots)

thanks--

Agreed. Water enough to keep it alive, but not wet!

Thanks for the info on Abutilon, Lavender! I have 5 cuttings now and the info is just what I needed!

Rob, you asked about rooting in warm weather. Texas is warm, much warmer than San Diego. Texas really doesn't have that long of a growing season because it gets so hot the plants go dormant and kick into survival mode in Summer. I do cutting in Spring and Fall. So here is how I handle the heat. As long as the plants are actively growing or putting out new growth my success rate stays high.

I watch the weather. Take advantage when a few overcast days are in the forecast, it helps. I take my cuttings early in the morning and place them in water while gathering .

I use plastic picnic cups with hole cut in the bottom. They hold a bit more soil than 4" pots and I think thy hold moisture better.

I keep my cuttings under a large tree, on the East side, it has the least direct sun. If they need water... I only water them early in the morning or late enough that is soil is not soggy by nightfall (roots grow at night and need oxygen)

This may be more then you wanted to know. I am always looking for tips to beat the heat :) good luck, have fun

I keep a large Nursery pot and just pop cuttings in it all summer. I keep the pot in the shade and let nature take it's course. When something roots I pot it up.

Cocoa_lulu, thanks so much for the info! It is never more than I want to know! : ) What kind of medium do you use? I hear so many different things I get confused! Lavender, what do you use?

yes, very good info. Thank you!

i use miracle grow to start all my cuttings...nothing fancy...that and water and a bubbler...the moisture control potting soil in the summer stays moist with no mold.

my short list is..
Elderberry
Willow
Pothos
Wandering Jew

I just read this thread from beginning to end. Thank you all for the good information.
I am a really old lady who has been gardening for years and years and years. I didn't know before why some of the plants I rooted in water 'kicked the bucket' when transferred to a pot of soil. Just some kinds.
Either I read somewhere and had forgotten it, or maybe just dreamed that if you have a cutting that roots in water but you have experienced that plant not taking to the transition to soil, keep adding soil into the jar of water every day until it IS potted in soil. Then get it out and pot it. Sounds pretty crazy. I'm going to try it for fun. ^_^

sounds like a plan! thanks for the idea

Rob, I use the MG too. Not for for any specific reason...I just seem to always have some on hand.

Has anyone had any success rooting lilac? How did you do it? Thanks.

Thanks Lulu!

Yup, Add Begonias on to the super-easy list:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4903853

Suzy

vj, just read an article on rooting lilacs from cuttings. It said you have a two week window right after flowering for good rooting of cuttings. Otherwise use suckers or layering. Lay over branches, bruise and cover with soil and weight down. If you use suckers cut them free from the mother pant in the fall and leave them alone then pot them up in the spring.

Lulu - good to see you!

As for begonias - I over wintered a couple. They really broke dorancy in February. I cut them WAY back in Mar and rooted in water. Petted up in early April and by the beginning of May I didn't have to purcahse any this year for bedding plants. I think I got about 40 plants form the 2 mommies.

I also did the same for coleus and the bedding salvia.

For propogating cuttings, I will use water, but have found (just this year) that if you cut a 2 liter plasitc soda container in half, it makes a perfect terrarium (sp) for cutting starts. I have started lantana, angolina, coleus, begonia, brugs, licorice plant, cuphea. I will continue to experiment. For easy rooters I do not add hormone, but if I dont' know I will use rooting hormone prior to putting in soil. These work great. I keep in kitchen window with only morning sun. I haven't had a failure yet. At any one time I have about 15 soda containers going. DH is teasing me that I need to stop as I ahve run out of contianers.

Ahh, but I have jsut started lining baskets iwth cocnut mat and now have lots more containers!

I do the same thing, only with milk jugs! It does work great, but I have trouble growing all these things as house plants, even scraggly or dormant houseplants. We just have an extra 3 months of winter you don't have, so it's a lot longer proposition until we can plant out in spring.

INteresting on the bedding Salvia -- I guess I knew they could come from cuttings, but I forgot.

Lavender, Interesting about the Lilacs. I really want just an old purple one with a long panicle of flowers, a PLAIN LILAC. :) They are sort of hard to come by, although when they are for sale, I am ot in my garden, not shopping. It seems to me that this year and last year, Sensation has taken over their place at places like Lowe's here.

Thanks so much Lavender, I will give it a try soon. They are blooming right now here. I wonder if I should put the cutting in water, or in soil. vj

I like to use "root tone" for my cuttings-it seems to raise the percentage of rooted plants by at least 50% for me. My geraniums would never start without it (I was surprised to read that so many of you have luck just putting some into the ground). As far as lilacs, (someone asked this) I took a cutting from a friends yellow lilac last summer and it is happily growing this spring. It took a while for roots and yes I used root tone.

Anyone ever take a cutting of Magnolia? I have a very, very large magnolia that needs some trimming and the branches I need to remove are in the 3-5 foot range. I read in a book about cutting it half way, apply root tone type product, wrap cut area in soil mix and wet heavily and overall wrap the cut in plastic wrap. It is supposed to take a few months to get roots but the tree is so gorgeous and is about 30 years old. I'd love to have some smaller babies in other areas of my property.

I grew up with purple and white lilacs but did not know there were yellow lilacs.

vj I would use soil and rooting hormone. Although you could try water. I would tent them with plastic. Try a few in garden soil in the shade somewhere too. I did that with my grapevines and black lace elderberry and they are all sprouting.

Hi, Liz. Are enjoying DG? Silly question, I know you are.lol

I know what you mean about containers. I bug everyone I know for milk jugs, cardboard and newspaper. I wonder if i could apply with the State and have them put a recycling drop off center at my front gate.lol

fortuantely my neighbors drink a lot of coke and DH drinks a lot of cranberry juice - so I have an endless supply!

And yes - I love this site! DH teases that I have another man in my life - DAVE!

I've had success with brugs, morning glory, salvias, potato bush, thyme, strobilianthus, abutilon, mints, anything that is kind if invasive, philodendron (house plant) Most of these I did outside under a porch overhang with large vases over potting soil. Right now I'm trying ascarina, hebe, salvia, clystoma. Also, I have a book called "gardening for free" with a pink flower on the front that talkes about when to take cuttings of certain things, with plants strike well and at what rate and whether to take soft, semi-soft, or hardwood cuttings. I started using the high domed cold frames that I can use over and over they aren't that expensive and they are very handy. I've had a lot a failure but enough success to get me addicted to taking cuttings.

I'm "jealous"! : ) Where do you get those domes?
I SO want to learn this. Especially for sharing, you know? How long does it usually take you to see roots? I think I need to be more patient too...

I got mine in the propagation section of the big nursery in town. Every plant is different as to when the roots start to show. The book I mentioned before has the number of days different plants take to root. They are just like the little seed starting trays with the clear plastic covers but a couple inches taller. I'm still learning alot about cuttings but I would love to know everything!

I hear you...must be nice!

For everyone watching this thread and willing to learn about propagation...I bought a FANTASTIC book by the American Horticultural Society....I can't tell you guys how much I've progressed in my skills! Here's a link to this book on Amazon. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/American-Horticultural-Society-Propagation-Plant/dp/0789441160/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216070240&sr=8-1

does it tell if you can grow new mums from the seeds of a mum plant? i have saved the seeds (thousands!) from my big mum but have never heard of anyone growing mums from seed