Cuttings
Do you have a favorite plant you would like to make more plants out of? Rooting your own cuttings is really not that difficult.
You want to start with a quality mix: something very loose but holds moisture and drains well at the same time. You want to moisten the mix and place it in some type of container. One of the easiest rooting containers for do-it-yourself home rooting is a simple clear pop bottle. Cut the top off; make holes in the bottom so that it drains well. It makes a nice little mini greenhouse for growing plants.
The next step is to take a cutting from the plant you want to root and remove the bottom few leaves. Some woody species need a little help in rooting. For that, we use a rooting hormone product that’s available in most nurseries and garden centers. Rather than dipping your cuttings into the hormone, which can contaminate the bottle, place a little bit into a cup, dip your cuttings into that, and, as you can see, a little clings to the bottom of the cutting. Don’t shove it into the soil mix because that would simply wipe the hormone off. Instead, use the tip of a pencil to open up a small hole, then place the cutting into the mix, and pinch the mix around the cutting.
After a period of time, usually about three or four weeks, your cuttings will begin to root. Don’t pull them up every few days to check or they’ll die on you. After about a month or two, it will have filled the container with roots and be ready for transplanting into a larger container or outdoors.