All cuttings need to go directly to an environment with 100% humidity after being cut. If the cuttings dry out, they will not do well. Keep them dark, cool and moist. If you are working in large areas, use wet cheesecloth or burlap to wrap the cuttings as you go along.
The basic principle behind applying mist to vegetative cuttings is simple. Without roots, cuttings cannot adequately replace the water lost to the environment due to evaporation and transpiration mainly. To aid them along the beginning of their life journey we must replace this water loss with water applications.
Cuttings planted in soil will grow roots more slowly. Make sure to keep soil / moss moist. This is easiest if you tent with a plastic bag or use a covered container such as a clean, lidded take-out food container. Check the plants weekly for moisture and growth.
During propagation, unrooted cuttings require water to prevent desiccation (death) and for processes such as photosynthesis, which influence root development and growth.
Step 1: Cut Off a Section of Stem
Crushing or tearing the stem may make it more difficult for the shoot to develop new roots. Keep cuttings cool and moist until you've potted them by placing the cut ends in water or stashing your cuttings in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel wrapped around them.
All cuttings need to go directly to an environment with 100% humidity after being cut. If the cuttings dry out, they will not do well. Keep them dark, cool and moist.
And they tend to rot if you don't wait for the cutting to form a callus, a hard, dry “crust” at the base of the cutting. That can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, even a few months in extreme cases. In general, the thicker the stem, the longer it takes to seal itself off.
Add your cutting, and then mist the surface thoroughly daily (trying not to get the cutting). Twice a day if it's hot or dry. By 'mist' I mean properly wet the surface of the soil. Every week or so, stick your finger in the soil further down, and water it 'properly' if it's dry.
You can replace the water every few days, or simply top off the vessel with fresh water when it's looking low—as long as there is no murkiness or fungi growing. If the water is murky, we recommend replacing it for the health of the growing root system.
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.
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.
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.
Warm growing medium temperatures accelerate cell division which leads to faster callusing, root initial development and subsequent root growth. It also speeds up the dry-down rate of the growing medium, which also helps encourage better rooting. The best way to warm the growing medium is through bottom heat.
Light provides the energy for callus formation and the subsequent generation of adventitious roots. At the same time, light increases plant temperature and accelerates the drying of leaves, which can quickly dehydrate cuttings. (Under LEDs, this would be less of an issue.)
It's important that your water propagated plants receive some light, but bright indirect light with no direct sun is important. They are growing new root systems and are fragile.
Tend the Cuttings
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.
Cuttings use energy to form new roots. If the cutting has leaves, most of the energy comes from photosynthesis. Expose these cuttings to bright light, but not direct sunlight, during the rooting period. If you use hardwood cuttings that have no leaves, the energy will come from reserves stored in the woody stem.
All cuttings need to go directly to an environment with 100% humidity after being cut. If the cuttings dry out, they will not do well. Keep them dark, cool and moist. If you are working in large areas, use wet cheesecloth or burlap to wrap the cuttings as you go along.
Letting the leaves get too wet and / or allowing them to stay excessively wet for a prolonged period of time can encourage mold growth on the leaf surface, so it's always important to ensure you don't ever allow puddles of water to form on your plants' leaves - this applies when watering as well as when misting.
Several cuttings may be placed together in one container. Be sure to add fresh water as needed until the cuttings are fully rooted. Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up.
Cuttings are very delicate and vulnerable so pests, disease, the wrong growing conditions, too much water or too little water can all cause them to fail.
In general, the rooting medium should be sterile, low in fertility, drain well enough to provide oxygen, and retain enough moisture to prevent water stress.