One of the great things about plants is how straightforward it is to create a clone from a healthy, flourishing plant. Cloning is the process of cutting a small section from a developed plant which is then planted and grown into a full size clone of the original plant. This is a great technique as it slightly reduces the grow time for the clone and it allows the grower to be certain of the plants sex in advance (something that is impossible when growing a plant from its seed).
The first thing you will want to do before taking a clone is to gather all of the necessary equipment. First you will want to purchase some peat pellets and some rooting powder from your local garden centre; using these items will increase the chances of creating a healthy clone exponentially. You will also need a sharp and clean razor blade, a small bowl of water and a planter already filled with potting soil.
The first step to take is to wet the peat pellet and allow it to fully expand. After this create a small hole in the top of it slightly larger than the diameter of the stalk you are planning to clone.
Next pour out a small pile of rooting powder and place it next to the bowl of water.
Now it's time to select a branch to trim. Ideally you want a branch that is fairly well developed with at least a couple of stems that are one or two centimetres in length. Once you identify a branch use the razor blade to cut it at a slight angle to the main plant.
Next, ensuring that you do not touch the exposed end of the stem, dip the end of the cutting into the water and then gently into the rooting powder coating the tip of the plant. Before doing this some people like to carefully scrape the bottom few millimetres of the stem with the razor and coat this entire area in rooting powder to increase the chances of the plant successfully rooting in the new planter.
Finally place the end of the cutting into the hole you made in the peat pellet and carefully close the hole so it is tight against the stem.
You are now ready to bury the peat pellet containing the clone in the planter and you will be able to treat it exactly as you would if you had grown the plant from a regular seed.
