How to Make Clippings of Plants and Reroot for Planting

Taking plant clippings and rooting them so that they become new plants is a process that is generally referred to as cloning. The original plant is the parent plant, and all of the cuttings become its children. Although there are many methods that can be used successfully, a simple aeroponic system is both easy and effective. An advantage of this system is that some plants, particularly at certain stages, can only be rooted by this or a similar method.

Pruning shears, sharp
Large plastic bin including lid, 8 to 10 gallons
3-inch net pots
Permanent marker
Keyhole saw, 2 1/2 inches
Air pump
Tubing, sized to fit air pump
Tubing splitter, to make 1 line into 2
8-inch air stones, for aquariums
Clay pellets, hydroponic system type
24-hour digital timer

Instructions

- 1
  Choose strong, healthy plants from which to take your cuttings. It is best to do this in the early spring, before the plants have developed buds. Use sharp pruning shears to remove a branch that is about the thickness of a pencil and 5 to 7 inches long. Remove any flowers or buds and strip all of the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
- 2
  Arrange six to eight net pots upside-down on the lid of the bin. Leave at least 2 inches between them and place them no closer than 2 inches from the edge. Outline each one after you have determined the best arrangement for the size of your lid.
- 3
  Cut a 2.5-inch hole in the center of each marked location using the keyhole saw. The holes will be slightly smaller that the circles. The net pots will be held in place by the remaining lip around each hole.
- 4
  Attach tubing to the pump and the splitter to the other end of the tubing. Connect a piece of tubing to each side of the splitter’s output.
- 5
  Put one air stone on the end of each section of tubing to provide aeration for the plant cloner. Lay the air stones in the bottom of the bin, one near each end.
- 6
  Place the bin lid on the bin and set a pot into one of the holes. Mark a line on the side that is 1 inch below the bottom of the pot.
- 7
  Add water to the bin until it reaches the line. It must be kept filled to this level at all times for best results.
- 8
  Place one cutting in each net pot so that it protrudes a half-inch through the bottom. Fill the pots with clay pellets and place them in the holes in the lid. When the system is in operation, the air stones will create bubbles that pop right below the cuttings, providing plenty of mist to help them to develop roots.
- 9
  Set the timer to run for 20 minutes of every hour, around the clock. Plug the air pump into the timer and the timer into power to complete the setup.
- 10
  Watch the cuttings for root development. When they have roots that are least an inch long, they are ready to transplant. This can be anywhere from about two to six weeks, depending on the type of cuttings.

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