FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

1. Do I have to cut the whole plant or do I just have to cut a part of it?
2. Do I need to use rooting hormone?
3. Should I cut off growth tips?
4. Will the old plant make new growth tips?
5. What if the cutting has pitchers on it?
6. Can I do stem cuttings with the small wood branches?
Thanks

1. It's generally recommended to have 2-3 leaves per cutting as the dormant growth points are located just above each leaf on the stem. It's often necessary to trim off the lowest leaf so the cutting can be firmly planted in the rooting medium, and so the lowest node is at or under the soil level which is usually recommended.

2. Some people swear by it, some say it makes no difference. I've never tried it myself, though from the information I've found I lean towards the "makes no difference" side. If you do use it, make sure you use the right amount because too much can have the opposite effect.

3. No. One of my recent cuttings is still growing from the old growth point, though it started a new one at soil level as well.

4. Yes. As long as you leave some leaves on the mother plant (which you should, you don't want to remove too many of the leaves) one of the dormant growth points will start growing, or it may start a new basal shoot from under the soil level.

5. It doesn't matter. Depending on the species the pitchers may die back immediately, or they may help keep the cutting hydrated if you fill them with water. One of my recent cuttings had a partially developed pitcher on it which finished developing before the cutting had even grown a single new leaf. Now it's growing a second pitcher on the other leaf (again before a single new leaf has developed.)

6. The old woody growth is not a good choice for cuttings. I can't remember exactly, but they either won't grow, or the chances are significantly lower than a "green" cutting.

Ok, thanks!

I've rooted nepenthes cuttings with hormones and without, and some just in plain water. never noticed a difference