I’ve been taking cuttings all day, but few of them survive. Why?

1 Temperature and humidity

First of all, if you want to take cuttings, certain conditions must be met - temperature and humidity. These two are the key factors for the success of cuttings.

Generally, the temperature for cuttings is controlled at 20-30℃ (this temperature is most suitable for plant rooting)

Generally, the humidity of cuttings is controlled at 70%-80% (high humidity can reduce evaporation and promote rooting)

If the temperature and humidity do not meet the above requirements, you can find a transparent box and cover it to simulate the climatic conditions of the greenhouse. But remember to ventilate them every day, generally 3-5 hours is enough.

2. Cutting selection

Cuttings are generally made from 1-2 year old strong branches, 5-10 cm in length, which must have about 3 leaves (for plants with large leaves such as hydrangea, the leaves need to be halved to reduce evaporation).

You can also choose branches that have finished flowering for cuttings.

When inserting the cuttings into the soil, be sure to insert them into the axils of the plant (this is the main place where the plant takes root).

3. Soil

Don’t think that the soil for cuttings doesn’t matter and you can change to better soil when the plants grow up. This kind of thinking is totally wrong.

Generally, cuttings require peat combined with perlite or vermiculite (river sand can also be used instead). These substrates have good water permeability and air permeability, which are suitable for the growth of roots (cuttings require high humidity, and if the soil has poor water permeability and air permeability, it will easily rot).

The soil that has been used for cuttings or planting flowers in the past can also be used for cuttings, but be sure to disinfect and sterilize it in advance. You can use carbendazim to prepare a 1:1000 solution.

Don't be lazy! ! ! The consequence of not disinfecting is that some germs will remain in the soil, which will greatly reduce the probability of survival. Even if they have survived, subsequent treatment will be very troublesome, so the germs must be killed in the bud.

4. Water

Huahua lives in Qingdao area, so we usually do cuttings in June and July. (Depending on the different climates in the north and south, the cutting time in some places may be advanced or delayed) The temperature will be relatively high, so watering is particularly important.

First of all, never wait until the soil is completely dry before watering. Once the soil is completely dry, not only will the survival rate be greatly reduced, but the rooting time will also be prolonged, so never wait until the soil is dry before watering.

On the contrary, too much watering is not conducive to plant rooting. When there is too much water, there is less air in the soil, and the humidity is already high, so the plants will rot easily.

The correct way is: keep the soil moist before roots grow, avoid water accumulation, and occasionally spray water on the leaves.

5 cutting methods

There is a certain art to cutting cuttings: the upper part should be cut flat and the lower part should be cut obliquely.

6. Lighting

Avoid direct sunlight. Scattered light, ventilated and cool place is preferred. (Exposure to the sun will speed up evaporation, causing the cuttings to lose water too quickly and wilt, reducing the survival rate of the cuttings)

After the plant has taken root, it can be slowly exposed to sunlight.

7. Don’t rush

Many people want to know whether the plants they have grafted are alive, so they pull them out every few days to see if they have taken root. This practice is very wrong.

Because the roots of the plant are extremely fragile at that time, the roots may have broken in the process of pulling it out, and you will feel that it has not grown roots yet. So don’t be impatient! ! !