1. Process the cutting immediately. If this is not possible, stand the cut end in water or place the cutting in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel and store out of direct sun. If the plant is frost-tolerant, store the bagged cutting in the refrigerator.
If possible, you should either plunge the cuttings straight into cool water or put them in a clear plastic bag, sealed shut to retain humidity. Kept cool, cuttings can be stored for 12 hours this way.
Storage of cuttings
It is best to harvest cuttings in early spring and plant immediately but if this is not possible, cuttings can be stored safely for about 4 months. Store cuttings in a cool, dark, and moist place.
Choose a warm spot near a window to set up your propagation station, such as a windowsill, side table, or countertop. You want to make sure your plant babies get lots of bright, indirect light while they're busy growing their new roots.
Cuttings can be kept for up to 6 months if stored. properly in a fridge as close as possible to 1 degree C. and ensure they do not dry out.
Most plants will not root well in full sun, so place the cuttings in a location where they will receive a 50/50 ratio of shade to dappled sunlight. For most plants, cuttings thrive on warmth and humidity, and the growing medium should be kept evenly moist but not drenched while roots develop.
It's also worth reducing water loss by removing the lowest pairs of leaves from each cutting, and snipping the leaves of larger-leaved plants in half. Another way to reduce water loss is to keep the cuttings in a humid atmosphere – place a clear plastic bag over individual pots or use a propagator with a lid.
If the plant is frost-tolerant, store the bagged cutting in the refrigerator. 2. For a stem cutting, remove some of the leaves. Most of the water will be lost through the leaves, so by decreasing the leaf surface you also decrease the amount of water loss.
Just Add Water
Put your cutting in a clear glass jar or vase so the roots can get some sun. Use a beaker or bottle-shaped vase so the cutting stays nicely in place. That's it! You may need to change the water every few weeks or trim back the roots in a year, but until then, it's completely self-sustainable.
Cuttings from many annual plants will keep over winter, sprout roots, and be ready for planting in spring. You may place them in pots or cups without drainage filled with moist perlite or vermiculite. Locate them at first in bright light, away from the sun. Move later to an area where they receive morning sun.
Many of the cuttings taken in winter could be planted direct into soil, or a mix of soil and sand. We propagate plants for a living and we can say without hesitation that cuttings placed into perlite and peat moss will have a superior success rate.
Place the cutting in moist vermiculite, perlite or a well-drained potting mix. Set in a bright location out of direct light. Loosely cover with an open plastic bag to increase the humidity around your cutting. Water often enough to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
Old egg cartons with the tops cut off make great planters! People have long used them to start seedlings, but they also make awesome containers for propagating cuttings. They are perfectly separated so that you can transplant them in to bigger planters once they develop sufficient root systems.
Carefully remove excess leaves to reduce transpiration, so cuttings do not wilt. However, some foliage should be retained to allow photosynthesis to occur. Keep cuttings moist, cool and shaded (collecting in a damp plastic bag is a good idea) until you are ready to put them in a propagation medium.
If daytime temperatures are above freezing during collection, cuttings should be refrigerated between 31°F to 40°F and 60 to 70 percent humidity. Frozen cuttings can be stored with a small amount of snow to help reduce drying. No water or burlap should be added to stored frozen cuttings.
Ideally, the bag can be kept shut from the time the cuttings are inserted until they are rooted in 10 days to a month. Another related hazard is seepage of moisture from the bottom of the bag to the surface on which it is resting.
Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag such as a freezer bag, and wrap an elastic band or similar around the pot to increase humidity. Place the pot in a warm, light spot such as a windowsill, out of direct sunlight. Check on the cutting regularly.
Technically, you can transfer your cuttings to soil at any time. In fact, you can actually propagate directly into soil, however, it's much harder to do within your home. When you propagate in soil, you have to keep a good balance of soil moisture, air flow, and humidity.
Cuttings need water for hydration, but also enough oxygen for roots to respire and grow. Using a substrate with adequate air porosity, and using the 1 to 5 moisture scale can help to prevent overwatering that leads to slow rooting and increased risk of disease.
The reason cuttings rot is that over time, the oxygen level of the water drops unless it's moving or oxygen is added. Not only do plants need oxygen in order to grow roots (and, indeed everything else), but the bacteria that cause rotting thrive in low-oxygen environments.
According to Richa, overwatering is the most common failure. 'When propagating cuttings, it's important to ensure the soil is moist but not waterlogged,' she says. 'Overwatering can easily lead to root rot. To avoid this, wait until the top inch of soil is dry before watering your cuttings.
Some plants will root in water, but cuttings will develop a better root system when rooted in a soil-less potting mix. Sand or perlite can also be used, especially for cuttings that need good drainage and may rot if kept too wet.
Media is usually kept at 72-77° F while air temperature is maintained at 68-73° F. If bottom heat is not used, air temperature should be maintained between 77 and 80° F. Maintaining air temperatures lower than medium temperatures retards shoot growth while promoting root development. Excessive heat can damage cuttings.
It will slow transpiration while the necessary components are used at the root sites to build a new root structure. Keep the atmosphere around the cutting warm (not hot), keep the humidity relatively high (>90%), and keep the root zone temperature warm (at about 25°C).