Question
Hello,

I am new to gardening. I had  about 30 different plants and about 10 very small ( young) trees.
I lost most of my plants and some of my trees to a freeze. I will buy more plants to revive my sad looking garden but I am also tring to save some money by making new plants out of older ones. How do I propagate the followin?: Jasmine Sambac, Miniature Rose, Rubber Plant. How long before they reach a decent size? will it be smarter to just go ahead and buy new ones?

Thank You Much in advance.

Sincerely
Marcella

Answer
Hi Marcella,
Thanx for your question.  You can take cuttings from all three of these plants.  Make a slant cut where a branch meets the main stem of the plant.  Make sure the cutting is not more than 6-8 inches long.  Take off all of the leaves except the top two or three.  Use a pot of wet sand or wet perlite and dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone like Rootone.  Stick the cutting into the growing medium (sand or perlite) and seal inside of a plastic, clear bag.  Keep warm, especially on the bottom (no less than 75 degrees, no more than 85).  Mist a couple of times a day.  Rooting should occur in about 6-8 weeks.  Check by digging gently near the cutting to find white roots.  I hope this helps.
Tom