Minding The Propagation Station
I may purchase some of the more unusual plants, but usually I get my starts from other gardeners when they are pruning their plants for abundance. You only need a few cuttings from each plant to be successful.
Which Plants Can You Use to Make Cuttings?
This simple technique, once mastered can be used on most stemmed plants.
Propagation by stem cuttings works fantastic on these herbs:
Basil
Cuban Oregano
Lemon Balm
Lemon Verbena
Marjoram
Mint
Monarda
Oregano
Pineapple Sage
Rosemary
Sage
Scented Geraniums
Summer Savory
Sweet Woodruff
Thyme
Winter Savory
Non-herbs that do very well using this method are:
Elderberry
Longevity Spinach
Mulberry bush
Okinawan Spinach
Sweet Potato Slips
Tomatoes (The Everglade Tomatoes in the picture are so prolific they are fruiting while growing roots!)
How to Propagate Plants From Cuttings
Take cuttings from several stalks of the plant you want to propagate. I made my cuttings about 10 inches long. You should use sharp garden.
Make new cuts based on the way the stalk looks – separating softwood and semi-hardwood sections.
Non-herbs that do very well using this method areow your cuttings are ready to go into rainwater with a light skim of cinnamon.
The greatest threat to your cutting is the water loss through the leaves that remain. To minimize this, you can create a mini greenhouse around the plants. This will provide high humidity while the stalks produce roots. If your cuttings are outdoors in Florida, this isn’t much of an issue. You do want to keep the cuttings in the shade if outdoors.
Place your cuttings into a small jar of water with a shake of cinnamon and with no leaves in the water. Change the water once a week or as needed.
It is as simple as that!
In 3-4 weeks you will have roots growing from the node areas and they are ready to plant into soil.
Benefits Of Cinnamon On Plants: Using Cinnamon For Pests, Cuttings, & Fungicide
Cinnamon is a great help in the garden to promote root cuttings, to prevent fungus from killing small seedlings, and for keeping pests away from your home.
The benefits of cinnamon on plants are well known and you may find yourself reaching for the cinnamon daily. Below are some of a few uses of cinnamon in the garden:
Pests
Ants do not like to walk where cinnamon powder lays. Find their entryway and sprinkle cinnamon powder in the path. Cinnamon will not kill the ants in your home, but it will help to keep them from coming inside. If you have a problem with ants in your child’s sandbox, mix a container of cinnamon powder with the sand, mixing it well. Ants will avoid the sand.
Rooting Powder
Cinnamon as a rooting agent is practical and effective. One application to the stem when you plant the cutting will stimulate root growth in almost every plant.
Give your cuttings a quick start with the help of cinnamon powder. Sprinkle a spoonful onto a damp paper towel and roll one layer around the end of the cutting to be planted. Plant the stems with paper towel in fresh potting soil. The cinnamon will encourage the stem to produce more roots, while the paper towel keeps the cinnamon from being rubbed off and keeps away pests.
Fungicide
Damping off disease is a fungus-based problem that hits young plants as they begin to grow. Cinnamon will help avoid this problem by killing the fungus. It also works with other fungal problems exhibited on older plants, such as slime mold and with discouraging mushrooms in planters.
Make a cinnamon spray for plants. Stir some cinnamon into warm water and allow it to steep overnight. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter and put the liquid into a spray bottle. Spray the stems and leaves of affected plants, and mist the potting soil in plants that have a mushroom problem.