Key Highlights
- Seeds provide genetic diversity and are generally more accessible if you're starting from scratch.
- Cuttings are a good way to preserve the genetics of plants with desirable characteristics.
- Each method has pros and cons, and understanding these is crucial for successful propagation.
Understanding the Basics of Seedlings and Cuttings
Seeds hold the genetic information that lets plants reproduce, eventually turning into full-grown plants themselves. Growing plants from seed is the traditional route, and many growers find it rewarding to do things the natural way.
Taking cuttings is a very popular option. When you cut a piece of material from a healthy plant, you can use it to create an exact clone of the parent. This way of multiplying plants is quicker and it preserves sought-after qualities, like flavour, growth rates, flowering times and resistance to stressors like pests and diseases.
Germinating Seeds
The Nature of Seeds: An Overview
A seed is a small plant embryo inside a protective shell, which comes with its own short-term food supply. When exposed to the right levels of moisture, warmth, and light, the seed germinates, growing roots into the substrate and a shoot that reaches for the light. This marks the start of a plant's life cycle.
Why Germinate Seeds?
One great thing about starting from seed is the sheer variety available: you'll find an array of outlets with seed catalogues that include countless plant types.
With a greater element of chance, derived from seeds' genetic variability, there's always the possibility that you'll stumble on a plant with your dream characteristics! Sadly, the opposite can also be true, which we'll discuss in a second.
Best Practices for Seed Germination and Care
- Start with good quality seeds from a trusted supplier. This helps to deliver strong germination rates.
- Keep seeds in a cool, dry place to preserve their integrity. Check the seed packet for specific planting details.
- Create the optimal conditions for germination. This usually means warm temperatures, and enough moisture and light.
- Use seed trays or pots with holes to stop water from pooling.
- Keep the growing area clean and check the seedlings often for any signs of pests. Act quickly if you find any.
You'll find lots of info on germinating seeds here.
Challenges Faced When Growing from Seeds
Seeds can never guarantee an exact copy of a particular parent plant. Like humans, they come from two parents, so they get genes from both. This means that their offspring comes with a natural level of variability (the exact level depends on the breeding process, which we won't go into here). If you're looking for particular traits, starting from seed will require some trial and error. For every 'keeper' you can expect to find seeds that don't meet your standards.
One big issue is the fact that seeds are not guaranteed to sprout. Top-end suppliers sell seeds with good rates of germination. However, sometimes, with the best will in the world, seeds just do not grow. Because of this, it is important to start with more seeds than you need to cover for any that might not make it.
Another issue is the time it takes for seeds to grow into mature, healthy plants. The exact time will differ based on the plant type, but seeds can often take longer to get up and running compared to plants started from cuttings.
Taking Cuttings
Cuttings Explained: A Quick Guide
A cutting is a small section of plant material that's been cut from a healthy mother plant. This piece can then grow into a completely new plant.
Start by cutting a section off, then dip it in rooting hormone, like Clonex. After that, insert it into a moist rooting plug and place it inside a propagator. This is where it will form roots.
You can find a detailed account of how to do this by checking out our dedicated blog.
Why Opt for Cuttings? Key Benefits
One of the biggest benefits is the turnover time. Since cuttings come from parts of a parent plant that are already growing, they can take very little time to grow roots and reach their full potential. Aeroponic propagators can get your cuttings rooted in double-quick time!
Cuttings let you create exact copies of your favourite plants. This means the new plants will have the same traits as the parent. This eliminates the variability you'll encounter when germinating seeds; you know that you’ll get a plant with the same colour, size, flavour, and yield, etc. Growing from cuttings keeps our indoor garden standardised, uniform and as efficient as possible.
Best Practices for Taking Cuttings for Hydroponic Growing
- Start with healthy mother plants. This ensures strong, vigorous cuttings with good genetic traits.
- Keep your tools clean and sterile. Use a fresh, sharp scalpel to make clean cuts and prevent disease transmission.
- Create optimal conditions for rooting, maintaining the right temperature and humidity in your propagator. Most plant types prefer warm temperatures and high humidity at this stage.
- Give your cuttings the right light source to maximise photosynthesis.
- Use appropriate rooting plugs / media, like rockwool cubes, Root Riots, Plug Life Plugs or Eazy Plugs. These rooting plugs provide support and retain moisture without becoming waterlogged.
- Apply rooting hormone to the cut end to promote faster and stronger root development. Be careful not to contaminate the hormone container.
- Maintain a clean growing environment to protect your cuttings from pests and diseases. Silver Bullet Mist will keep surfaces sterile (but don't spray it on your plants).
- Regularly inspect your cuttings and be quick to act if you notice any issues.
Potential Downsides of Propagation through Cuttings
One downside of taking cuttings is that they are quite vulnerable during their early stages, when they have no roots. It's not uncommon to lose a percentage of any cuttings that you take, so it's worth taking more than you need and selecting the strongest.
Taking cuttings is easy but getting cuttings rooted can be a bit more difficult. Practice makes perfect, and if you follow the guidelines mentioned above, you'll be off to a great start.
