- 1). Take a softwood cutting with a sharp cutting tool. Take the cutting in late spring or early summer by cutting off a 4- to 6-inch tip of an actively growing branch. Softwood means it is not tender and green, but also not yet hardened into hardwood. Cut 1/4 inch under a leaf node and plunge the softwood cutting into a container of water immediately after it is cut.
- 2). Prepare the rooting medium by filling a well-drained container with a sterile soilless potting mix. A sterile soilless potting mix is designed for starting seed and propagating plants. It is sterile to prevent mildew and fungal diseases from attacking the tender new roots of the plant. It also has a wetting agent that helps keep it moist and a low level of fertilizer than cannot burn the plant roots. Soilless potting mix is widely available in the nursery trade. Soak the potting mix with water and allow it to drain. Push a 3-inch hole into the potting mix with a finger or pencil for planting the cutting.
- 3). Take the cutting from the water and pull off any leaves that are 3 inches above the cut end, using a quick downward motion.
- 4). Pour 1 tsp. of powdered rooting hormone onto a flat surface or into a small container. This prevents the stem from contaminating the entire batch of rooting hormone.
- 5). Place the cut end of the stem in the teaspoon of powdered rooting hormone. It will cling to the wet stem. Cover the bottom 3 inches of the stem completely with the rooting hormone.
- 6). Place the cut end of the stem into the hole you made in the potting mix. Gently close the soil around the rooting hormone-covered stem end and use gentle pressure to firm the medium around the stem so it stands upright.
- 7). Place the container holding the cutting in a brightly lit location where temperatures remain above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the planting mix around the cutting moist during the entire rooting process. The cutting should root in three to four weeks. Plant in a larger container or the garden once it is firmly rooted.
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