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. Therefore it is vital that the plants you take your cuttings from are healthy, pest-free and growing strongly.
Just like leaves, the roots of plants need air to live. Rooting mix that is continuously waterlogged is devoid of air and cuttings will rot rather than form roots.
This has been answered by others and I agree with them. Basically, take the cutting, put it into a media, either water or soil, make sure the media is free from fungi/pest. To increase/promote root growth, make a slice to expose more of the plant's part to the media.
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.
Moisture levels, temperature, lighting conditions and soil composition are key factors to consider for successful rooting of cuttings.
A common rooting temperature target is 73 to 77° F.
Auxins stimulate root formation on the stem cuttings, e.g., IBA, IBA-alanine, NAA. NAA is synthetic auxin while IBA is considered as both natural and synthetic.
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.
They'll root faster with plenty of sunlight, but avoid setting them in direct sun. Temperature is also important, the warmer the better to speed things up. For cuttings that are more valuable or difficult, adding a little aquarium pump to oxygenate the water will help a lot. Roots need the extra oxygen to grow well.
Snip a 6” long stem that has both a bit of new and old growth on it. Gently strip off the lower 2”-3” of leaves. Place in small jar of water and keep on a sill. Make sure to give your cuttings fresh water every 2-3 days, giving the jar a quick cleaning as well to remove any slime.
The two main nutrients that support excellent root growth in plants are phosphorous and potassium. These two ingredients are extremely helpful in any fertiliser mix that needs to encourage a thick, healthy collection of brand-new roots, or to strengthen and stimulate existing systems.
Reasons typically involve soil drainage, soil quality, fertilizer, and light.
For plant roots to grow faster, it requires nutrients, sufficient water, well-aerated soil, enough light, the right range of temperature and proper amendments. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the three essential nutrients that a plant requires for its growth.
Remove the bottom leaves and buds of the shoot so the plant devotes its energy to forming roots rather than growing leaves or flowers. Sprinkle rooting hormone powder on a saucer. Dip the cutting in the powder, which will encourage root growth once it's planted.
PRO TIP If you have a Pothos in your collection, another tip to speed up root growth is to add a pothos cutting to the same water as the cutting you're waiting to root. Pothos release a natural rooting hormone into the water that helps trigger root growth in other cuttings sharing the same water.
Plants are always losing water from their leaves, so cuttings (which don't have roots to draw in water), are especially prone to drying out. When taking cuttings, ensure you have a plastic sandwich bag containing a little water with you, to place your cuttings into.
Some cuttings root in only 4 to 7 days, but most will take two or three weeks, even more than a month for woody plant cuttings.
Willow is good for rooting cuttings because it contains high concentrations of Indolebutyric acid (IBA), and also salicylic acid, from which aspirin is derived and which protects against fungi and other pathogens. To make willow water, simply gather around 2 cups of fresh willow growth chopped up into short lengths.
For your cuttings to develop roots, they need oxygen and clean water. Over time, oxygen in the water will dissipate and the stagnant water can attract bacteria that impact the health of your cuttings. It's best to top-up or change the water every few days.
Add a Pothos! I'd heard of using willow as a natural rooting hormone (no idea where to source that however), but didn't know Pothos has this 'super power' too! Just pop a Pothos cutting in with the water with your slow-to-grow cuttings and it helps speed up root development.
Aloe Vera Rooting Hormone
Just extract the fresh gel from a mature plant's leaves and mix it with a bit of water in a blender. Soak the cuttings in the mixture and add them to the growing medium. Spray the growing medium and plants with the remaining mix of aloe vera gel and water.
Distilled water: Distilled water is a good choice for houseplant propagation because it has had all impurities removed through a distillation process. This means that it is free from minerals, chlorine, and other chemicals that can harm or hinder the growth of the cutting or the new plant.
Effect of environmental factors: Among the external factors affecting the rooting of cuttings, moisture, temperature and light play important roles.
Auxin is the major growth-promoting hormone for the initiation of lateral and adventitious root growth.
Plant growth regulators usually auxin have an important role in stimulation and initiation of roots to cutting.