Growing plants from cuttings is one of the most rewarding skills any homesteader or home gardener can learn. Instead of buying new plants every season, you take a small piece of a healthy plant — a stem, a leaf, or a root — and grow an identical plant for free.
It sounds simple because it is. Propagation from cuttings works for a huge range of garden plants — herbs, ornamentals, fruit shrubs, houseplants, and even some vegetables. Some plants root directly in water; others need soil and a touch of rooting hormone. Either way, once you understand the basics, the results are surprisingly reliable.
This guide walks you through every method — soil and water propagation, the different cutting types, how to boost success with rooting hormone, the best times of year to take cuttings, and how to troubleshoot when things go wrong.