How to Start Fuschia Cuttings

Pour moist vermiculite into a 2- or 3-inch pot.

Dilute the rooting hormone talc according to package instructions.

Find a healthy stem that is growing horizontally. From the tip, count back four sets of leaves and make the cut just above the fourth set. Shorten the stem by cutting it to within a half-inch of the bottom leaves. Use sharp snips to remove the bottom set of leaves and any buds in the node.

Stick the bottom of the stem into the rooting hormone and immediately into the prepared pot. Ensure that the bottom leaf node is buried. Use your hands to pat the soil around the fuchsia cutting.

Place the potted fuchsia cutting into a plastic bag, adjusting it so the bag doesn't touch the foliage, and seal it.

Set the heat mat beneath fluorescent shop lights or standard grow lights, timed to run for 16 hours a day. Set the thermostat on the mat to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pot on the mat and adjust the lights so that they sit 6 inches above the pot.

Watch for new growth, which signifies that the fuchsia stem has produced roots. Open the bag gradually.

Open one corner for the first day, then allow the entire top of the bag to remain open for a day. Once you remove the pot from the bag, gradually begin decreasing the heat on the mat, over the course of three or four days, until it is turned off.