Stem cuttings are the most common method of vegetative plant propagation. A stem cutting is a portion of a stem that includes at least one node and is rooted to form a new plant. There are several types of stem cuttings including softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are taken from new, succulent growth while hardwood cuttings are taken from dormant, mature stems. Leaf cuttings can also be used to propagate some plants by rooting leaf blades or sections. Proper environmental conditions and sometimes treatment with rooting hormones helps promote root formation on cuttings.

1. Cuttings
⚫Parts of a plant (usually
shoots) removed from
plant allowed to form
new roots and leaves
⚫rooted in water, well-
watered compost, or
rooting powder
⚫e.g. busy
lizzie, geranium

3. CUTTING
Definition:
 Separation of a portion from mother plant and planting it in a medium suitably
so that it may constitute a new plant successfully is termed as cutting.

4. FACTOR AFFECTING ROOTING OF CUTTINGS
Internal factors affecting rooting of cuttings
 There are several internal factors which affect the rooting of cuttings.
(1) Age of the stock plant
(2) Nutritional and hormonal condition of the plant
(3) Relative position of the shoot on the parent plant
(4) Maturity of the tissue
(5) Position of the basal cut with reference to the node
(6) Effect of leaves and buds
External factors affecting rooting of cuttings
(1) Light
(2) Temperature
(3) Water
(4) Rooting medium

5. METHODS OF CUTTING
 Depending upon source of origination, cutting is of four types:
A. Stem cutting
B. Root cutting
C. Leaf cutting
D. Leaf bud cutting
(A) Stem cutting
 Aportion of stem is taken for propagation. It is of four types:
I. Hard wood cutting
II. Semi-hard wood cutting
III. Soft wood cutting
IV. Herbaceous cutting

6. STEM CUTTING
 Next to seed, stem cuttings are the most convenient and popular method of plant
propagation.
 Most cuttings fall into this category.
 A stem cutting is any cutting taken from the main shoot of a plant or any side
shoot growing from the same plant or stem.
 The facility with which different species can be propagated in this way is largely
determined by experience.
 There are, however, a few general considerations, which help in selection of
suitable cuttings.
 Cuttings are detached from the mother plants and the source of food supply is
excluded.
 Therefore it is essential to have sufficient reserve food to keep tissues alive until
roots and shoots are produced.
 The shoots with high carbohydrate content usually root better.

7.  To maintain high carbohydrate content in a shoot, ringing or notching stems
down to the wood are useful practices.
 As a general rule, cuttings from young plants root better, but, if older shoots of
the plants are cut back hard, very often they can be induced to produce suitable
shoots for rooting.
 Broadly, there are four types of stem cuttings, namely hardwood, softwood,
semi-hardwood and herbaceous cuttings used for multiplication of plants as
follows:

8. (I) HARDWOOD CUTTING
 Cuttings made from past season's growth or wood that has become mature and
lignified are known as hardwood cuttings.
 Hardwood cuttings are made from a wide variety of plants ranging from conifers
to deciduous species and broad-leaved evergreens.
 Where rooting is easy, this is the cheapest and easiest method of vegetative
propagation.
 As in the case of semi-hardwood cuttings, the propagating material for hardwood
cuttings should be taken from healthy, vigorous stock plants growing in full
sunlight.
 Extremely vigorous or too weak shoots should be discarded.
 Shoots of moderate size and vigour having ample stored carbohydrate is the most
desirable form.
 Hardwood cuttings may be 10 to 30 cm or even more long, and the diameter
ranges from 1 to 2.5 cm or even more, depending on the kind of plants.

9.  Usually, one-year-old shoot is preferred, but in some cases two-year-old wood
is used.
 It is a common practice to give the top cut 1 or 2 cm above a node and the basal
cut is given slightly below a node.
 There are mainly three types of hardwood cuttings - straight, mallet and heel
cuttings.
 Straight cutting is the most commonly used type of cutting which does not
include any older wood at the base.
 In heel cutting a small piece of older wood is retained, while in mallet cutting a
small section of the branch of an older wood is retained.
 E.g., grape, fig, quince, mulberry, gooseberry, olive, pomegranate, etc .

10. (II) SEMI-HARDWOOD CUTTING
 When cuttings are taken from partially mature, slightly woody shoots, they are known
as semi-hardwood cuttings.
 Semi-hardwood cuttings are also succulent and tender in nature, and are usually made
from growing terminal shoots.
 Shoots that snap clean when broken are considered to be ideal for semi-hardwood
cuttings.
 In practice, semi-hardwood cuttings are made 7.5 to 15 cm long with several leaves
left at the terminal end but removed from the basal portion.
 Large terminal leaves are sometimes trimmed to some extent to prevent wilting.
 The basal cut is given just below a node.
 Best results are obtained when the cuttings are collected during the cooler part of the
day, preferably in the morning, while the material remains turgid.

11.  Treating cuttings with auxins before planting is found to be beneficial.
 In addition to relatively cool temperature, shade and high humidity are essential
for rooting to occur on semi-hardwood cuttings.
 For this purpose, cuttings are usually placed under intermittent mist.
 Bottom heat is sometimes used to provide more desirable condition for rooting,
especially when the ambient temperature is quite low.
 In the absence of automatically operated intermittent mist, the cuttings and
adjacent areas are to be sprayed periodically with water to keep the cuttings
moist and to prevent them from wilting.
 E.g., jackfruit, lemon, etc.

12. (III) SOFTWOOD CUTTING
 Cuttings made from soft succulent, non-lignified new growth of some woody
plants art known as softwood cuttings.
 As in the case of herbaceous cuttings, terminal portion of shoots are used for
making cuttings such cuttings are usually low in carbohydrate content and,
therefore, it is necessary to retain some leaves for manufacture of carbohydrates
during rooting.
 As with the herbaceous cuttings, softwood cuttings are to be handled carefully in
order to prevent wilting.
 Proper choice of shoots for making softwood cuttings is an important factor.
 Very fast growing, soft and tender shoots arc not suitable for making softwood
cuttings, as they tend to rot before rooting.
 Similarly thin, slender and slow-growing shoots are also unsuitable.
 Moderately vigorous shoots growing on healthy plants under full sunlight are
most suitable for making softwood cuttings.
 Sometimes lateral shoots perform better than the terminal ones.

13.  Heading back of the terminal shoot results in several laterals to grow, which are
excellent materials for softwood cuttings.
 Softwood cuttings are usually made 10-15 cm long with terminal buds and at
least two to three nodes on each cutting.
 The leaves are removed from the bottom node and the basal cut is made just
below a node.
 In some cases, where the central shoot is extremely soft and leads so wilt, the
soft lip may be cut out leaving the cutting with two sets of leaves and a third
node beneath.
 The upper leaves which are very large may be trimmed to some extent to reduce
the transpiration rate.
 All flower buds are also removed.
 For most cuttings, treatment with auxin like IBAor NAAis beneficial.
 The cuttings should be made as described, treated with auxin and immediately
planted in the rooting bed.
 The best time for taking softwood cuttings varies from plant to plant.
 In general, cuttings from deciduous plants are taken before or immediately after
new shoots have ceased to grow.

14.  Cuttings from broad-leaved evergreens are usually taken in late summer, and
cuttings from coniferous evergreens are taken in early winter.
 E.g., litchi.

15. (IV) HERBACEOUS CUTTING
 The herbaceous stem cuttings usually consist of the terminal leafy portion of
stems of herbaceous plants.
 Such cuttings are usually soft, tender and succulent.
 Since herbaceous cuttings are easily liable to wilting, much care is to be taken
with regard to temperature and moisture of the propagation chamber to prevent
wilting.
 In general, 7.5 to 12.5 cm long terminal portion of moderately vigorous shoots
are selected for making cuttings, and the leaves are removed from the basal
portion of the cuttings.
 The cuttings should be prepared just before they are placed in the rooting
medium.
 Under favourable conditions, herbaceous cuttings root within a relatively short
time.
 Although the use of auxins is not essential, they are often used to obtain uniform
rooting and a heavy root system.
 E.g., chrysanthemum, dahlia, coleus, carnation, geranium, sweet potato, etc.

16. ROOT CUTTING
 In root cuttings, adventitious shoots are regenerated.
 Plants which freely produce suckers in nature can easily be propagated by root
cuttings.
 The adventive shoots develop mostly at the proximal end of the root; in other
words, the portion nearest to the crown of the root generally forms shoots.
 Hence, it is essential to maintain correct polarity at planting; the proximal end of
the root cutting should always be kept above soil when vertical planting is done.
 In some cases, horizontal planting gives good results, but the shoots mainly
develop at the proximal end.
 Root cuttings are generally taken in early or late winter or early spring when the
roots are well supplied with reserve carbohydrates.
 Root cuttings should not be made when the plants grow vigorously, because
during that period the roots remain deficient in stored food.

17.  After the plants are well-formed, these can be transferred in pots or in beds in
a nursery for further growth.
 E.g., guava, apple, pear, cherry, persimmon, rhododendron, etc.

18. LEAF CUTTING
 Certain plants with thick and fleshy leaves can reproduce themselves from leaf
cuttings.
 For making leaf cuttings, depending on the species, either the whole leaf blade or
leaf sections or the leaf petiole is used.
 In all cases, adventitious roots and an adventitious shoot develop on the leaf
cutting.
 However, in many cases, only the roots develop without forming a shoot, which
ultimately leads to the death of the cutting.
 In general, leaf cuttings require environmental conditions (e.g., high humidity)
similar to that required for herbaceous or softwood cuttings.
 Many ornamental plants are propagated by leaf cuttings.
 In case of Kalanchoe, well-developed leaves are placed flat on the rooting
medium and partially covered with the rooting medium.
 New plants soon arise from foliar embryos in the notches of the leaf margin.
 In case of Sansevieria, 5 to 10 cm long leaf sections are planted in the
propagation frames maintaining the polarity.

19.  Within a month a new plant develops at the base of the leaf cutting.
 Well-matured leaves with petioles are used for making leaf cutting of Saintpaulia
the petiole if inserted in the rooting medium.
 In Begonia, an incision is made on the large veins of a thick fleshy leaf which is
then placed flat on the rooting medium, keeping the upper leaf surface exposed.
 Within a few weeks new plants develop at the point where the vein been cut.
 In leaf cutting, root-promoting chemicals are not generally used, but they may be
helpful in obtaining good root system and healthy shoot.
 E.g., brayophylum, Kalanchoe, Sansevieria , Saintpaulia, etc.
Leaf cutting of Kalanchoe sp, showing the development of new plants from
meristems located on the margin of the leaf blade

20. LEAF-BUD CUTTING
 In general, a leaf-bud cutting consists of a leaf blade, petiole and a small piece
of stem containing a dormant vegetative bud at the leaf axil.
 The care and handling method of leaf-bud cutting is more or less similar to that
of ordinary stem cuttings.
 Well-developed leaves from current season's growth are generally used for
making leaf-bud cuttings.
 In leaf–bud cuttings, about 1-1.5 cm of stem portion bearing an axillary bud is
usually retained.
 The stem portion is often treated with root promoting chemicals before placing
it cooling medium.
 If conditions are optimum, new roots will develop soon and the axillary bud
will sprout and develop quickly to form a new complete plant.

21.  Leaf-bud cuttings are of much value where propagating material is scarce,
because it will produce a new plant from each node.
 Such cuttings should preferably be made during the growing season.
 Once a bud enters dormancy, it will not sprout till the dormancy is broken, and
deciduous plants are not suitable for making leaf-bud cuttings, because the
leaves of deciduous plants abscise quickly and can not maintain themselves
long enough for rooting to occur.
 E.g., camelia, rhododendron, lemon, black raspberry, blackberry, etc.

22. Stem cuttings are the most commonly used method
of vegetative propagation.
 A stem cutting is plant stem including a tip
(e.g. shoot, twig, sucker, ) or a portion of a stem
without the apex that includes one or more nodes
removed from a parent plant and capable of rooting;
A stem cutting is used to grow a whole new plant, which
is also known as cloning (because you are creating an
exact copy of the parent plant, a clone).

23. Herbaceous cuttings are made from non-woody, herbaceous
plants such as coleus, chrysanthemums, and dahlia. A 3- to 5-
inch piece of stem is cut from the parent plant. The leaves on
the lower one-third to one-half of the stem are removed. A
high percentage of the cuttings root, and they do so quickly.

24. Softwood cuttings are prepared from soft, succulent, new
growth of woody plants, just as it begins to harden (mature).
Shoots are suitable for making softwood cuttings. For most
woody plants, this stage occurs in May, June, or July. The soft
shoots are quite tender, and extra care must be taken to
keep them from drying out. The extra effort pays off,
because they root quickly.

25. Hardwood cuttings are taken from dormant, mature
stems in late fall, winter, or early spring. Plants generally
are fully dormant with no obvious signs of active
growth. The wood is firm and does not bend easily.
Hardwood cuttings are used most often for deciduous
shrubs but can be used for many evergreens. Examples
of plants propagated at the hardwood stage include
forsythia, privet, fig, grape, and spirea.

26. Vegetative Propagation By Leaf Cutting
▶ It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores.
It can occur naturally or be induced by horticulturists.
▶ Leaf cuttings are either entire leaves, with or without the petiole, or
portions of leaf blades.

27. Plant Propagation by Cuttings
a. Kinds of cuttings
1) Stem cuttings
2) Leaf-bud cutting (single-eye)
3) Root cuttings
4) Leaf cuttings
b. Totipotency-The ability of an individual cell to
reconstitute the entire plant part and
functions
c. Dedifferentiation-The capability of previously
developed, differentiated cell to return to a
meristem

28. Plant Propagation by Cuttings
1. Stem cuttings
2. Leaf-bud cutting (single-eye)
3. Root cuttings
4. Leaf cuttings

29. 1. Stem Cuttings
•Softwood Cuttings
•Semi-Hardwood Cutting
•Hardwood Cuttings
•Herbaceous Cuttings

30. Softwood Cuttings

31. Shoftwood Cuttings - Hydrangea
Butterfly cutting (top)
Double-eye single node cutting (middle)
Single-eye single node cuttings (bottom)

32. Softwood Cuttings-Peach
- Actively growing shoots are used
- Softwood cuttings are taken during
spring and summer

33. Influence of IBA on Semi-Hardwood Cuttings - Cordia
1-Control, 2-50% ethanol, 3-100 ppm, 4-1000 ppm, 5-2000 ppm, 6-4000 ppm, 7-6000
ppm, 8-8000 ppm, 9-10000 ppm IBA

34. Semi-Hardwood Cuttings - Jojoba
Treating cuttings in IBA
Solution (top)
Sticking IBA-treated
cuttings in root
substrate (bottom)

35. Bottom Heat System for Cutting Benches

36. Temperature Differential Helpful for Root Formation
Ambient Temp
60 oF
Root zone Temp
70 oF
- Rooting requires
carbohydrates (energy),
auxin (growth
hormone), and rooting
cofactors (enzymes)
- Temperature
differential (10 oF)
between the ambient
air and root zone is
helpful for faster
rooting

37. Good sanitation is important
Cutting on the left was
infected with Alternaria and
did not root
Cutting on the right was
healthy and rooted well

38. Cutting Propagation in Jojoba
• Regular Stem Cuttings
• Use 4-5 nodes
• Semi-hardwood cuttings
• Single Node Cuttings
• Double-eye single node
cuttings
• Single-eye single node cuttings

39. High Pressure Fogging
(1000 psi pressure)

40. Hardening of rooted cuttings under a shade house

41. Clonally Propagated Jojoba Field
Bakersfield, CA

42. Bagged Cuttings are Stored in Cold

43. Growth Regulator (IBA) Treatment on Cuttages

44. Rooting Cuttings of Pacific Yew

45. Outdoor Rooting Facility-Monrovia Nursery

46. Herbaceous Cuttings-Chrysanthemum

47. Herbaceous Cuttings

48. Steam Sterilizing Beds

49. pH Adjustment of Carnation Beds

50. Planting Rooted Cuttings

51. Typical Carnation Benches

52. Poinsettia Plant Grown in Mexico

53. Herbaceous Cuttings-Poinsettia

54. Leaf Cuttings-African Violet, Piggyback Plant