Propagation Tools

Propagation tools are cheap, small, and disproportionately responsible for whether a batch of cuttings roots or rots. Almost every propagation failure traces back to technique and hygiene rather than to the gel or the medium.

What you actually need

• A scalpel or very sharp snips. A clean cut heals; a crushed stem rots. Blunt scissors are the most common cause of failed cuttings. Replaceable scalpel blades are the cheapest way to guarantee sharpness every time.
• Sterilising solution or isopropyl alcohol. Wipe the blade between every single cutting, not between batches. One infected stem will otherwise pass through the whole tray.
• A dibber to make the hole before you insert the cutting. Pushing a gel-coated stem into a firm plug scrapes the gel straight off.
• Labels and a marker. Obvious until you have four unlabelled trays and cannot tell what is what.
• A hygrometer in the propagator. You cannot manage humidity you are not measuring – see thermometers and hygrometers.

The method that works

1. Sterilise the blade. Every cutting.
2. Cut at 45 degrees just below a node, in one clean movement.
3. Dip immediately in rooting gel – decanted, never straight from the bottle.
4. Dibber a hole, insert, firm gently around the stem.
5. Into the propagator with bottom heat at 21-24°C and the vents shut for the first few days.

Related

See propagation media for plugs and cubes, propagation lights, and propagation tents for a bigger run.

Why buy from The Hydro Bros?

We are a hydroponics shop in Croydon and we take cuttings every week. Tell us how many you run at a time and we will spec the lot. Discreet UK and European delivery, and excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot.