I have had some success with propogating from cuttings and yes, I am somewhat new to using my green thumb. How did I learn to do cuttings? First, if I wanted a plant and thought I could get it from a cutting ( or any other way for that matter ), I did a search on the web for 'plant name propogation' and voila! I had all the info I needed. I have thereby successfully propogated Oriental Arbor Vitae, Potato Bush and Red Ruffled Azalea from cuttings and Bird of Paradise from separation of rhizomes. These two cloning methods are actually common. Consider also, that you can graft some plants onto another to get them started. Rhizome separation is probably the simplest thing as all you do is separate rhizomes so that you have at least one growing bud on the piece you cut away and you'll get a new plant. The number of plants sporting rhizomes is only a small percentage of the whole however. Cuttings on the other hand need to be approached in terms of soft or hard wood types. If you search for 'Propogation Cuttings', you are bound to find some web pages that actually categorize many plants into hard or soft wood propogation classes. You are best off taking cuttings from near the base of the plant, not the extreme ends and this is best done during the plants dormancy. It is also best to make sure your cuttings are NOT too long. Apparently length creates a competition among the cuttings cells for nutrition from the cutting itself prior to it rooting which can jeopardize your success. Your cuttings will come to life in Spring and you can take cuttings late into the spring for certain plants. Note that it is also best to transplant well situated mature plants while they are dormant, in winter months. Search for BearState on this web site and look at my Backyard Nursery posting for pictures of a few of the cuttings I have done and well as some other of my propogation experiments. My toughest plant propogation experiements involve seeds like Ginkgo seed which require 'stratification', Heliconia Seeds which are hard as pebbles and seem stuborn as rock and very small seed or spores like Puya or Tasmanian Tree Fern which germinate sprouts so small that a rain drop will wash them away. I've also noted that direct sunlight can burn seedlings and cause their demise, too much water can drown some of them and so forth. Keep a journal and note what works and what doesn't. And use the web to benifit from the experience of others.

hotdiggety- so do I really. (seen some pics, haven't done it myself yet, this being my first one) I heard that if I don't take the pups from mom, the whole plant will die. I really don't want that. I have tried looking it up, I think I have the basic idea, but what I found was very vague. So, do I take them off and plant all in the same pot? Or leave it as is? Someone said I could plant them next to the mom, (not sure this pot is big enough for that) How much room do they need? What will happen to the mom plant? does she just die? or will I have to cut her off at some point? I can't seem to find the answers to my questions, believe me, I've looked! I love this plant, want to do right by it and its babies. Yes- questions again. Lol. Thanks for any info Marjie :)

Hi Barb, I don't know what propagation gel is. I have never heard of it. Is this a gel you make up to insert cuttings into? I know that gels are used in tissue culture in sterile conditions but that is as far as I know. What I do, for the best results is to root wedge cuttings of strep leaves, each about two to three inches long in a mix of perlite and vermiculite, enclosed and under lights. I formerly used only ziplock bags to enclose cuttings but now I prefer to use the high domes that fit on the 10/20 trays. I think they provide high humidity but with more evenness, so the cuttings are less apt to rot. I pot up the cuttings in small pots such as 2 to 3 1/2" squares. Healthy leaves generally are fool proof. Its when I try to root leaves of rotting plants that I often lose the cuttings. Even though the leaves appear to be clean, they will often have the fungus already established so rot under the high humidity. Now, if I were doing things in a professional manner, I would treat my cuttings to a fungicide bath. But, I avoid such complications. A wedge cutting is just a cutting made across the leaf. Thus a nine inch long leaf can make three or four cuttings. But, I shape the cuttings in an arrow shape so that they are easier to insert in the media, and I also think it reduces the chance that the end of the cut will rot. A whole leaf will root to make a faster growing plant, but wedges make good starter plants and more of them. The sideways cutting with the midrib removed is known to make the highest number of plants but I don't have good luck with this method, and I really don't need so many little starter plants. I would be happy with just the wedge cutting plants. Propagate your streps often to get the best plants, and to keep them going for a long time. I always loose varieties by failing to propagate them, Young plants grow into the best specimens. Jon

I've always been iffy on the plastic bag greenhouses, and always had good luck just keeping an eye on the moisture levels and watering when needed. When I do use a plastic bag though I'll take some of those little hand held paper punchers and put about 3 sets of holes along the top edge. That seems to keep plants from totally "baking" and allows a little air circulation while still holding in the humidity. Also make sure to put the stakes in to hold the bag out and away from the plant, and it's better to use too big a bag than too small.