How to Root Brunfelsia

Wash a 4-inch plastic pot in hot, soapy water to remove any dirt and pathogens. Pay special attention to the drainage holes because they often hold dirt. Rinse it well in hot water, then set it on a disposable paper towel to drain and dry.

Fill the pot to within 1-inch of the top with a sterile, fast draining growing medium such as a mix of half milled peat and half perlite. Add water until the mixture is saturated, then let the excess water drain off for 15 minutes before potting the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow cutting.

Locate a suitable cutting at the tip of a healthy, non-blooming yesterday-today-and-tomorrow stem. Find one with young leaves at the tip, a smooth stem and no flowers or buds. Measure back roughly 4 to 6 inches from the end and sever the stem 1/8-inch below a pair of leaves using sharp shears.

Strip off the bottommost sets of leaves so the lower one-third of the cutting is defoliated. Dust the stem with standard rooting hormone powder, paying special attention to the growth nodes where the leaves were attached. Gently tap the stem to free any caked-on hormone powder.

Poke a planting hole in the center of the moistened growing medium. Make the depth equal to one-third the length of the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow cutting. Place the leafless end into the hole. Hold the cutting upright while firming the growing medium against the stem.

Stick a wooden kebab skewer into the soil on both sides of the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow cutting. Make sure the skewers stick up higher than the cutting. Place a large, clear plastic freezer bag over the pot so it rests on the skewers. Secure the bottom of the bag against the pot with a rubber band.

Place the pot in a warm, bright location out of direct sunlight such as near an east-facing window or outdoors under a sheltered porch. Warm the pot with a heat coil or propagation mat if ambient temperatures stay below 65 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time.

Lift the plastic bag every few days to mist the cutting and to release excess moisture if the bag develops an abundance of condensation inside. Check the moisture level in the growing medium and add water only if it feels very dry in the top 1 inch.

Check for root formation in three to four weeks by digging around the base of the cutting to look for roots or by gently tugging on the base of the cutting to feel if it is stuck to the medium. Cut a 4-inch hole in the plastic bag after roots form, but leave the bag in place for another few days before removing it entirely.

Transplant the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow cutting into a permanent pot filled with potting soil one month after it roots. Grow it under very bright, sheltered conditions for one full year before planting it in the garden the following spring.