The length of your cuttings affects how successful you will be propagating houseplants. You want the cuttings long enough to ensure new roots and growth but not too long, as that can cause the cuttings not to thrive.
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Today, I’m going to answer a question about the best length of a plant stem for propagating a cutting. The question was on a video where I showed you how to propagate just about any house plant using rooting hormone, and I showed you using this beauty, which was originally a very small cutting. This is a gorgeous goldfish plant. I will link that video below so you can see the process as to how I got to this point.
Okay, so Cari, the viewer, asked what the ideal length for a cutting is or if it matters if there are a couple of nodes. She is referring to root nodes, which are also stem nodes. If I were to remove one of these leaves, there will be a bump underneath, and that bump contains auxin, which is a plant growth hormone. That is where you apply the rooting hormone, and as I said, that’s in the other video.
However, I do want to cover Cari’s question about the ideal length of a cutting for rooting because it is very important. You want the cutting to be long enough to ensure new roots and growth but not too long, which can cause the cutting not to thrive.
My rule of thumb for how long the cutting should be involves how many nodes the cutting has. You want as many nodes as possible within the cutting. Ideally, the cutting should be at least 2 to 3 inches long, but generally not longer than 4 to 5 inches.
Now, in the prior video, you’ll see this one was about 2 inches long when I started it, so 2 to 3 inches is a really good length. As mentioned, it should not be longer than 4 to 5 inches. The reason you don’t want a cutting that is longer than 5 inches is that when the new roots start to form, the leaves along the cutting will need water to thrive, but the roots forming will also need water.
The more leaves you have, the harder it will be for the plant to form roots and begin growing because the water will be going to the leaves to support them. The cutting won’t necessarily fail to form roots in this situation, but it will take longer, and the plant may not be as strong from the beginning. If the roots dry out at any point because the water is going to the leaves, the cutting will die.
You might be thinking, “Why not just cut off all the leaves so you don’t have to worry about it?” Please don’t do that. The plant needs those leaves to photosynthesize and provide the growing roots with the energy to continue to grow, and actually, to grow in the first place. You don’t want a bunch of leaves, but you do want two to three leaves on a cutting for that vital photosynthesis.
You will see that I left leaves on this cutting when it was rooted in the prior video. So there you go—the best length for a plant stem for propagating a new cutting is 2 to 3 inches long with as many root nodes as possible along the stem of that cutting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ideal length for a plant cutting when propagating?
The ideal length for a plant cutting should be at least 2 to 3 inches long but generally not longer than 4 to 5 inches. This ensures that the cutting is long enough to grow new roots and thrive.
Why shouldn’t the plant cutting be longer than 5 inches?
A cutting longer than 5 inches may require more water to support the leaves, which can slow down root formation. As a result, the plant may not grow as strong, and if the roots dry out, the cutting could die.
Can I remove all the leaves from the cutting to help with root formation?
No, it’s important to leave two to three leaves on the cutting for photosynthesis. The leaves provide energy for the roots to grow. Without leaves, the cutting won’t be able to produce the energy it needs to form roots.
What are root nodes, and why are they important?
Root nodes, also known as stem nodes, are bumps on the stem where new roots grow. These nodes contain plant growth hormones, such as auxin, which help in root development when the cutting is propagated.
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