Stem cuttings

I enjoy taking and giving cuttings – these are small sections cut from the stems of plants that will grow up to become new plants in their own right.

GOLDEN POTHOS (Epipremnum aureum) AND SILVER VINE (Scindapsus pictus)

Taking stem cuttings is easy, and some plants are easier to succeed with than others, such as golden pothos and silver vine.

1 Using a pair of secateurs, cut off one of the plant’s branches just below a node (the bumps you can see on the stem) and strip off the lower leaves.

2 Put the cutting in a clear glass or a bottle with some water.

3 Replace the water weekly.

4 After about two to six weeks the cutting will develop roots.

5 Plant the cutting in some potting compost.

The small, brown nodes are where new stems and leaves form on a plant. However, once cut and the stem cutting placed in water the nodes put their energy into forming new roots instead.

HANDY HINT

If you see a good-looking plant at a friend’s place, why not take a cutting? It’s usually best to ask, but I have been known to take a sucker or two without asking. One of my golden pothos plants came from a petrol station in Ringerike, a region northwest of Oslo.