Propagating Plants

How to Get Many From a Few

🔨 How‑To Garden Guide | by Guy Saldiveri | February 01, 2026

Propagation is one of the more interesting and enjoyable things I do in the garden. It allows me to purchase one or two plants and then make as many as I want. 

Most of the time, I do it because I enjoy sharing the plants I have with others. Sometimes I want multiple plants for hedges or need extra to fill in some gaps. 

Being involved in several gardening groups, I find there’s a lot of plant swapping going on. It’s always nice to have extras on hand to give away to friends. The only thing to check is whether the plants are protected by any active patents.

Another reason to propagate plants is to get an exact copy of the mother plant. Growing from harvested seeds (sexual propagation) inherently results in genetic variation and may not always reproduce the exact same plant. Asexual propagation, on the other hand, gives you a genetic carbon copy of your original plant. 

There are four main forms of asexual propagation: cuttings, layering, dividing, and grafting. While I have not had any experience with grafting yet, I hope to in the near future. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the ones I do have experience with.

Division:

Dividing plants is the process of splitting a large (mature) plant into smaller sections. Each section will have a complete set of parts: roots, stems, and foliage. The idea is to take one plant and split it into two or more. Each one, when replanted, will grow into its own individual plant, which, when mature, can be divided again. This type of propagation works very well on rhizome-type plants such as daylilies, grasses, and hostas. As long as the section didn’t experience much damage, it will usually regrow without any issues.

Layering:

Layering is the easiest—though not the quickest—method of propagation. It works best with vining plants or shrubs that have new growth very close to the ground. Many times with a shrub—such as an azalea—all it takes is to bury a low-lying stem in the soil and place a weight on top to keep it in place. Sometimes, people will nick or wound the stem in order to facilitate new growth. 

The stem, while still attached to the mother plant, will root where it is touching the soil and start growing a new plant. Once this happens, you can snip it from the mother plant, dig it up, and repot it in its own container or location in the garden. I prefer to start with a container instead of burying the stem in the ground, but the method works the same. The only difference is that once you separate the new plant, it is already in its own container and ready to go. 

The main advantages to layering are how easy it is to do and the fact that it's nearly foolproof when it comes to producing a viable new plant. Since the buried stem is still connected to the mother plant, it isn't under any stress and doesn't need any extra attention.

Cuttings:

While propagation by cuttings is the most widely used form, it's the method that requires the most interaction and provides the lowest rate for success. The key to success is starting with a well-draining, loamy soil mix. Cuttings should be kept moist and in a mostly shady and humid location. I find a spot that gets dappled sunlight works best for me.

I prefer to take cuttings from soft or semi-hardwood stems that are about 4–5 inches long and about half the thickness of a pencil. Using a sharp, clean knife or clippers, cut the stem at a 45°angle, making sure you have at least two nodes that can be buried in the soil.

Remove all leaves except the top 2 or 3 and dip the cutting in a rooting hormone if desired, then plant about halfway into the soil mix. Water the soil well and move the container to your selected location. 

Keep an eye on the container and make sure the soil doesn’t dry out. Many gardeners use a small dome to cover the cuttings in order to keep a high level of humidity. The cut-off top of a plastic bottle works very well for this. 

Depending on the plant, you should start to see new growth occurring within 3–6 weeks. Once new growth appears, it should be rooted, and you can treat it like a regular plant.

If you see the tops start to turn brown and die off, the soil may be too wet and you may need to replace the cutting with a new one.

The plant itself will help you decide which method to use. Whatever you choose, growing your own plants is both a rewarding and cost-effective way to add as many plants as you want to your landscape.

 Happy Gardening 🌱