Preparing the Planting Materials
A uniform propagation guide for the nursery
This guide explains how to prepare uniform planting materials from healthy mature plants already growing in the garden. The correct material depends on the plant. Use stem cuttings only where suitable; use divisions, offsets, plantlets, leaves, rhizomes, tubers, corms or seed for other plants.
Standard procedure for every batch
- Select a healthy, vigorous and correctly identified mother plant. Do not use material with pests, disease, yellowing or weak growth.
- Water the mother plant the evening before collecting material.
- Collect early in the morning and keep the material shaded and moist until planting.
- Clean pruning shears or a knife with 70% alcohol before starting and between different mother plants.
- Prepare all pieces in one batch to the size shown in the table. Keep only strong pieces of similar thickness.
- Remove flowers, flower buds and damaged leaves. On stem cuttings, remove leaves from the part that will be buried but keep two to four healthy leaves at the top.
- Label each batch with the plant name, mother plant, preparation date, number planted and propagation method.
- Plant each batch in the same bag size, at the same depth and on the same day. Keep batches together in straight, labelled rows.
Never leave fresh cuttings in direct sun. Keep the rooting medium evenly moist but not waterlogged. Succulent and latex-producing cuttings need time for the cut surface to dry before planting, as shown in the table.
Propagation-method index
Use this index to identify plants prepared by similar methods. Exact sizes and preparation steps are now stored with each completed plant profile.
| Propagation material | Plants |
|---|---|
| Corm or cormel | Gladiolus |
| Leaf with petiole | African Violet |
| Non-flowering tip cutting | African Daisy, Carnations, Lavender, Rosemary |
| Offset or whole leaf | Echeveria |
| Plantlets | Spider Plant Arrangement |
| Rhizome division | African Spiral Flag |
| Rhizome division or leaf section | Snake Plant |
| Rooted basal division or seedling | Areca Palm |
| Rooted crown division | Boston Fern, Peace Lily |
| Rooted division | African Lily |
| Rooted division or basal cutting | Gazania |
| Rooted division or basal shoot | Anthurium |
| Rooted division or cane cutting | Aglaonema |
| Rooted division or stem cutting | Mexican Petunia |
| Rooted fan division | Daylily, Pale Yellow Daylily |
| Rooted offset | Aloe Plant, Aloe Vera |
| Rooted offset or division | Oyster Plant |
| Rooted or unrooted plantlet | Spider Plant |
| Rooted rhizome division | Bird of Paradise, ZZ Plant |
| Seed | Marigold |
| Seed or tip cutting | Petunia |
| Semi-hardwood cutting | Bougainvillea, Rose |
| Semi-hardwood tip cutting | Dwarf Ixora |
| Softwood or semi-hardwood cutting | Gardenia, Hibiscus |
| Stem cutting | Crown of Thorns, Geranium, Ivy Geranium, Portulaca, Scented Pelargonium, Tradescantia |
| Stem cutting or leaf | Jade Plant |
| Stem cutting or rooted division | Begonia |
| Stem section | Pothos, Pothos / Money Plant |
| Tip cutting | Alternanthera, Artillery Plant, Burgundy Coleus, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum Bunch, Graceful Spurge, Impatiens, Poinsettia, Spanish Shawl, Trailing Lantana |
| Tip cutting or air layer | Croton |
| Tip cutting or offset | Kalanchoe |
| Tip cutting or rooted runner | Mint |
| Tip or cane cutting | Cordyline, Dracaena |
| Tip, cane or rooted division | Red Ti Plant |
| Tuber division | Caladium |
Catalogue completion
Every plant formerly listed in the planting-material table now has a complete master profile in the Plant Catalogue. Use the profile for the exact planting material, size, preparation method and number per nursery bag.
Making nursery plants look uniform
Grade the material before planting
Create three temporary groups: small, medium and large. Plant only one grade in each batch. Use medium-sized, vigorous material for the main sale batch. Keep smaller material in a separate recovery batch and do not mix it into the main row later.
Use one standard per batch
For every plant batch, keep these items the same:
- mother-plant type or cultivar;
- propagation method;
- cutting, division, offset or corm size;
- number of pieces per bag;
- nursery-bag size and media volume;
- planting depth;
- preparation and planting date;
- shade, watering and feeding schedule; and
- pinching or pruning date.
Produce flowering batches together
For chrysanthemums, marigolds, petunias, carnations, geraniums, impatiens, portulaca and similar flowering plants, prepare or sow each batch on the same day. Use material of one variety and one size grade. Remove any flowers and buds at planting so the plants first establish roots and vegetative growth.
After establishment, pinch plants in the same batch on the same day where pinching is appropriate. Do not pinch African violet, African lily, aloe, anthurium, bird of paradise, caladium, daylily, echeveria, gladiolus, peace lily, snake plant, spider plant or ZZ plant.
Planting together improves uniformity but does not guarantee that different plant species will flower at the same time. For a coordinated display, manage each species as a separate dated batch and combine only batches that reach flowering stage together.
Batch label and record
Use a code such as CHR-20260915-A, meaning chrysanthemum, planted 15 September 2026, batch A.
| Batch code | Plant | Material and size | Mother plant | Date prepared | Number planted | Bag size | Expected review date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
At each review, record the number alive, the number rooted, weak plants removed, pest or disease signs and any differences in growth. These records will help refine the best cutting size and method under the nursery’s actual conditions.
Practical safety notes
- Wear gloves when handling Crown of Thorns, Graceful Spurge, Poinsettia and other plants that release irritating latex.
- Crown of Thorns also has sharp spines. Keep it away from children during preparation.
- Do not propagate from diseased mother plants, even if some branches look healthy.
- Wash tools and hands after each batch and keep plant labels with the plants at all times.
References
The general preparation standards in this page follow established guidance for vegetative propagation: healthy stock plants, clean tools, at least two nodes on most tip cuttings, removal of lower leaves, a well-aerated rooting medium, high humidity without waterlogging and bright indirect light.