How to Get Cuttings From Vines to Root

Cut a 4- to 6-inch-long cutting from a healthy, disease-free and vigorous vining plant using sharp and sterilized pruning shears. Angle the blade of the pruning equipment on the desired point and make a sharp, straight cut that separates it from the parent plant. Ensure the cutting has three to four leaves and buds.

Wrap the cutting in a moist paper towel while you take a few more cuttings from the parent plant. Keep the cuttings away from direct sunlight until you plant them.

Add quality potting mix to a 5-inch pot until 1 inch from the edge, or mix equal amounts of perlite, sand, vermiculite and peat and add to the pot. Mist the growing medium so it settles. Tamp it in place to remove trapped air bubbles.

Poke a pencil through the potted medium to make a planting hole for each cutting. Space the holes sufficiently apart to keep the foliage of the vine cuttings from touching one another.

Add rooting hormone powder to a clean and dry bowl. Insert the lower 2 inches of a cutting into the powder until completely covered. Lift the cutting form the powder and tap to remove excess powder before lowering it into a hole in the pot. Ensure the powdered end remains below the level of growing medium. Firm the soil around the lower end of the cutting so it stands on its own before repeating the process of planting the remaining cuttings in the holes.

Water the pot deeply so excess water runs out through the drainage hole. Insert the pot in a plastic bag to mimic the effect of a greenhouse. If desired, install three wooden stakes around the edges of the pot that prop the bag up and keep it from falling on the foliage. Wind a length of elastic wire around the opening of the bag to keep it closed.

Place the pot in a warm spot with indirect, bright light. Inspect the moisture level of the growing medium frequently and mist as needed so it remains evenly moist at all times. Collect and discard fallen leaves from the base of the cuttings.

Notice the pots for signs of rooting, which include new foliage growth, roots poking out through the drainage holes or resistance offered by the cuttings when pulled. Ideally, the cuttings root in four to six weeks. Remove the bag to acclimate them to bright light before transplanting in individual pots.