Clematis Tip Cuttings in Water

Timing

• The time of year you take your clematis cutting affects how well it roots. Each type of clematis has it own appropriate harvest time. The larger-blooming varieties root best when a cutting is taken from a tip just as it is about to bloom. The hormones are rampant in the stem at this point and can easily be forced to root instead of flower. For other types of clematis, late fall is the best time to take a cutting.

Type of Cutting

• Once you have established the time to take your cutting you need to know what type of growth is best to harvest. Plant cuttings are taken off hardwood, softwood or semihardwood growth and each plant has a different success rate with the stages of wood. Most clematises except for the large-flowering varieties are harvested in summer and softwood or semihardwood cuttings are best. Softwood is very new green growth while semihardwood is nearly a year old and beginning to get slightly woody.

Method

• Use a sterile, sharp cutting implement to take the cutting so you don't pass infection or pathogens to the new plant. A simple straight cut is sufficient, but make sure it is a clean cut and not ragged. Remove 4 to 8 inches of a healthy shoot and strip the leaves off the bottom 2 inches. Fill a slender but tall container with rainwater or distilled water. Tap water has too many chemicals that can stress the cutting. Place the cutting in the water to the level where the leaves were removed. Put the container in a warm area with medium light. Change the water every day or two to prevent bacterial buildup.

Growing On

• In about three weeks, the end of the clematis will callus over and begin to form small nodes of rooting material on the cut end. It is time to plant the cutting. It cannot get adequate nutrients in water for proper growth and should be moved to a well-drained potting mix with about half peat moss added. Use a container that is unglazed to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Plant the cutting at least an inch into the medium and keep it misted. Place the container in a brightly lit window and continue watering until it is warm enough outside to plant in a garden bed.