The $10 Product That Turns Pruning Scraps Into New Plants - It's The Easiest Way To Get Free Shrubs This Spring

Spring is the season for hard pruning many types of shrubs before they break dormancy and begin growing in earnest. While you’re out there pruning away, don’t throw away those trimmed branches! I have a secret for you: this is also a great time to get some new free plants.

Rooting plant cuttings is a free and easy way to multiply your plants, fill out your garden, or even create a new hedge. Take some cuttings from the branches you prune out in the spring and get ready to have some plant propagation fun.

Softwood cuttings are the easiest to root and a little helper in the way of rooting hormone makes it even easier! I personally love the TakeRoot rooting hormone from Garden Safe, which is available on Amazon. It has served me well for years. Let’s dive into how you can easily multiply your favorite shrubs this spring!

What is Rooting Hormone?

Rooting hormone is a powder, gel or liquid that stimulates the growth of roots in a plant. The naturally-occurring chemical auxin tells plants to send out roots and chemical rooting hormones mimic this. You can also make natural rooting hormones like willow tea. Soaking young willow shoots in water extracts the willow’s high levels of auxin which then helps plant cuttings to develop roots.

How to Use Rooting Hormone for Free Shrubs

There are different ways you can use rooting hormone to grow new shrubs from cuttings for free. You can take your hard-pruned shrub scraps and plant them as a new hedge, you can root them in a sterile potting medium, or you can add a liquid rooting hormone to water and watch roots grow in a propagation station.

Shrubs that work well being rooted from spring pruning include roses, viburnum, salvia, red twig dogwood, hydrangea, and American beautyberry.

Supplies

• Rooting hormone - I’ve used the TakeRoot rooting powder from Amazon for years.
• Sharp pruning shears - For clean cuts, our editors love a reliable pair of Felco 2 pruners.
• Soilless potting mix - A sterile, soilless mix will allow roots to develop easily without becoming too wet and developing fungus. Horticultural vermiculite is a good choice and can be purchased from Amazon or your local garden center.
• Container with a cover - You could use a pot you have laying around and a plastic bag or invest in a seed tray with a humidity dome, like this one from Amazon.
• If your home doesn’t have bright, indirect sunlight, a grow light can help. I use these Barrina grow lights from Amazon for all my seed starting and propagating.
• Cooler temperatures in the spring mean that a seedling heat mat will also help your cuttings take root. Vivosun seedling heat mat can be found at Amazon.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Take a 5-6 inch (12.7-15 cm) cutting from your shrub. Sterile and sharp pruning shears will ensure it is a clean cut.
2. Dip the cut end in some water and then in the rooting powder.
3. Plant the cutting in a moistened soilless growing medium like perlite or vermiculite.
4. Cover the cutting with a plastic bag or humidity dome to retain moisture. If using a bag, use a stick or bamboo skewer to tent the bag so it doesn’t touch the cutting.
5. Place in a location with bright, indirect light.
6. Check on your cuttings every two weeks to see if roots have grown.
7. Roots will be ready when you feel resistance to gently tugging on the cutting. Remove the plastic covering and plant outdoors when the danger of the last frost has passed.

There you have it! Turning those pruning scraps into beautiful new shrubs with the help of a little rooting hormone couldn’t be easier.

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