How to Establish a Root on a Cutting

Select a clean 2- to 4-inch pot with drainage holes.

Fill the pot with the rooting medium of your choice. Do not pack it down. The options include vermiculite, perlite and coarse sand. If you have it available, add some peat moss to any of these media. Peat helps to create an underground environment with adequate air circulation. Peat moss also supports the cuttings of plants that like acidic soil such as azaleas.

Make a hole in the medium for your cutting with your pinkie or a pencil.

Dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone. If it is in powder form, moisten the cutting first for the hormone to stick to it.

Insert the hormone-treated end of the cutting in the hole you made in the soil. Push the medium against the base of the stem to hold it in place upright.

Water the rooting medium until excess moisture flows out of the drainage holes.

Enclose the pot with the cutting in a clear plastic bag. This step creates a moist and warm environment that promotes rooting. Insert stakes in the medium to hold the bag up if it collapses on the stem. Place the cutting in indirect sunlight and keep the temperature at 65 to 75 degrees F.

Open the bag daily for 2 to 3 minutes for air to circulate. Check how moist the medium is at the same time. Water it whenever the surface begins to dry.

Pull the soil from around the base of the stem about once a week. Check for roots. Transplant the cutting to a planter with potting soil after it develops three or four roots at least 1/2 inch long.