The water cutting technique and the necessary equipment

To ensure that your water cuttings are a success, we give you all the tips, both on a practical level, with the steps to follow step by step, and on the necessary equipment to have.
Let yourself be guided, you will see, once your first cutting is made, you will probably not be able to stop. We have warned you!
To find out which varieties are best suited to cuttings, you can also consult our article Propagating indoor and outdoor plants in water.

The necessary equipment

In order to carry out your water cutting in the best conditions, you must first be perfectly equipped.
To do this, provide yourself with water (preferably rainwater, so that it is as chalky as possible), plant that you wish to put into cutting, from a  secateur  disinfected and a clean, transparent container, such as a glass vase  of a size adapted to your stem to be cut.

This will allow you to follow the progress of your cutting, by checking the evolution of the roots and the quality of the water. You can also use a small piece of charcoal that you put in the water so that it remains clear. If you do not use any, you will then have to make sure to change the water every ten days. Also equip yourself with a little cutting soil for the transplanting stage in the ground, once your cutting in water has developed.

The best time to take your cuttings in water

It is best to favor the period from April to September for  make your cuttings in water. Depending on the chosen period, you will need to take care to take a herbaceous cutting or a semi-hardy cutting.

First, choose a perfectly healthy stem that does not have any flowers. Then, using clean pruning shears, take a piece of about fifteen centimeters from the end of the stem. Be sure to cut the stem using the pruning shears at an angle and below a node.
Once you have taken your stem, then remember to remove all the leaves, keeping only two or three on the top of the stem.

Then fill a transparent container with rainwater. If you do not use rainwater, make sure to use water that is as low in lime as possible.As we mentioned earlier in this article, if you have charcoal, place a small piece at the bottom of the water to maintain its clarity. In the absence of this piece of charcoal, you will need to make sure to change the water in your cutting every ten days.

Soak your cutting in your container of water and then place it in a rather warm and especially bright place, around eighteen to twenty degrees. Then, wait while regularly monitoring the appearance of the roots and their development.

As soon as your roots are longer than three centimeters, it is time to replant your cutting and grow your plant in soil. However, if you notice that the submerged end of your cutting is turning black and the leaves are falling off your stem, then throw away this cutting and repeat the operation, unfortunately this one did not take. But the next one will be the right one!

To transplant your cutting into the ground, proceed as you would for repotting a plant. In a pot filled with potting soil, dig a hole in which you will place your cutting stem, delicately placing the roots in it.  and covering them with potting soil.
For the first few weeks, make sure to keep the soil constantly moist, before spacing out your watering frequency, as you usually do for your usual plants.