How to Grow Dutchman's Pipe From Cutting

Examine the Dutchman’s pipe vine to find the stems with new growth or soft wood. To tell if a stem is soft wood, bend the stem back. Soft wood bends easily and does not snap or break. This is what you need for your cutting.

Cut a 4- to 6-inch piece of the softwood stem. Place the cut end of the stem in a wet paper towel so it does not dehydrate.

Fill 4-inch pots with potting soil. Potting soil is sold at most home garden centers, or you can make your own by combining equal amounts of compost, peat moss and perlite.

Moisten the soil with water. Allow the water to drain from the bottom drainage holes.

Remove the leaves from the stems, but leave the top two or three leaves.

Wet the bottom end of the cutting in a glass of water. Shake the cutting to remove the excess water.

Dip the wet end into rooting hormone. Tap the end with your finger or on the side of the box to remove the excess rooting hormone.

Make a hole with the blunt end of a pencil and then insert the end with rooting hormone into the hole. Firm the soil around the cutting with your fingers.

Place a clear plastic bag over the pot and put the pot in a bright window, but not in direct sunlight.

Check the cutting every other day and water the soil if it is dry. The soil should be kept moist, but not soggy or the cutting will rot.

Inspect the cutting for roots or new growth after one month. Pull gently on the cutting to check for roots. If you feel resistance, the roots have formed. Remove the clear plastic bag. If the cutting pulls easily from the soil, the roots have not formed and it needs more growing time.

Transplant the Dutchman’s pipe into a 6-inch pot filled with potting soil. Continue to grow in the pot for another two months before transplanting it into the ground.