How to Clone Mother Plants

Prepare a rooting medium by filling a small pot with equal amounts of peat, perlite and sand. You can also use fine gravel as a rooting medium.

Pour about 1 inch of rooting hormone into a plastic cup. Rooting hormones are not necessary but they help speed the production of roots in cuttings.

Take 3- to 4-inch long cuttings from softwood stems of the mother plant. Softwood is the current year's growth that is still succulent and pliable with no significant hardening. Use a sharp scissors and measure from stem tip.

Remove all leaves from the lower half of each cutting. Leave only a couple of leaves at the top. These will naturally continue to produce a substance that will help in root production.

Insert a pencil at a depth of 2 inches in the rooting medium to create planting holes. Dip the base of each cutting into the rooting hormone and plant in individual planting holes. Do not plant deeper than 2 inches. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water well.

Place the entire pot in a large, clear plastic bag. Stick a chopstick in the rooting medium to keep the bag from collapsing. Close top with a rubber band. Place in a bright, warm spot out of direct sunlight.

Open bag every three to four days and water enough to keep soil moist. Cuttings generally root within a few weeks.

Transfer rooted cuttings to separate medium sized containers filled with a well-draining potting soil. Transplant to garden after plants are well-established.