- 1). Add the sterile growing medium to the pot or tray, add water so the soil is moist and make a hole in the center with your finger. The hole should be about an inch deep. When making more than one cutting, space the holes about three inches apart. The cuttings will need room to grow.
- 2). Choose a healthy gardenia to gather the cuttings from so there is little chance of disease infecting the cuttings as they grow. The best time to take the cuttings is during the spring and summer growing season.
- 3). Cut six inch sections from the host plant, making certain there is at least one set of leaves at the bottom of the cutting. The leaf node, where the leaf and stem meet, is where the new plant will start forming roots.
- 4). Remove the bottom leaves of the cutting leaving the bottom two inches of the gardenia cutting bare. The top leaves must remain in order for the cutting to harvest light energy and form healthy roots.
- 5). Pour two tablespoons of rooting compound onto a separate tray and reseal the original container. This keeps any diseases from infecting the rest of the bottle. Dip the gardenia cuttings into the rooting compound and stick them into the holes of the pot or tray one inch deep. Pat the soil firmly into place allowing no air around the base of the cutting.
- 6). Cover the pot with plastic and seal it to create a greenhouse effect. Poke two holes in the plastic for ventilation. Place the gardenia cuttings in a sunny location, but avoid direct sunlight. Keep the soil moist but not wet, and watch for new growth.
- 7). Remove the plastic and transplant the new gardenia plants when new growth starts to appear. The plant can be potted into another container or planted directly outside in the garden for southern locations. Watch for stress during the first week or so and water regularly for the plant to gain a healthy root system.
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