How to Clone Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums (Dendranthema morifolium), also called garden mums, are perennial plants that add bright color to the landscape during late summer and fall, when many other ornamentals have stopped blooming. It is possible to add more of these colorful flowers to the garden by cloning healthy plants. This can be accomplished by clipping off and rooting a piece of stem. When a new root system forms, the resulting plant will be identical to the one the cutting was taken from. Gather stem pieces for cloning during spring or early summer and plant them promptly, before they dry out.

Sharp knife
Paper towels
3-inch container
Perlite
Rooting hormone

Instructions

- 1
  Examine mature chrysanthemum plants regularly during early spring to determine when new shoots begin to grow. For best results, take cuttings when new growth is 3 to 5 inches long.
- 2
  Use a sharp knife to remove a 2- to 3-inch piece of a newly formed stem.
- 3
  Pull the leaves from the bottom half of the chrysanthemum cutting.
- 4
  Wrap the wounded end of the cuttings in a damp paper towel to keep moisture from evaporating.
- 5
  Fill a 3-inch container with lightly moistened perlite.
- 6
  Dip the cut end of the shoot into rooting hormone, which stimulates growth and speeds up root development.
- 7
  Bury the shoot in the perlite, up to its remaining leaves.
- 8
  Place the container in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Check the moisture level daily and add water as needed to keep the perlite evenly moist.
- 9
  Pull on the cuttings gently each week, beginning three weeks after planting, to see if a sturdy root system has formed. Once roots start to grow, the cuttings become anchored to the perlite and resist being tugged free.
- 10
  Move the new chrysanthemum plants to their permanent location when the roots are 1 1/2 inches long.

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