Plantstek

Plantstek is a propagation technique in horticulture that involves creating new plants from sections of a mature plant, typically referred to as cuttings. In this usage, stek is related to the Dutch word for a cut or cutting. Plantstek is commonly used to produce clonal copies of desirable varieties and is applicable to many herbs, ornamentals, and some fruiting species.

The typical process begins with selecting a healthy donor plant and choosing a non-flowering stem that contains at least one node. A clean cut is made at a slant just below a node, and lower leaves are removed to reduce water loss. The cut end may be treated with a rooting hormone to encourage root formation. The cutting is inserted into a suitable rooting medium, such as perlite, sand, peat, or a commercial mix, and kept in a humid environment, often under a plastic cover or in a propagator. Bright, indirect light and a steady temperature around 20-25°C support rooting, which can take from two to eight weeks depending on the species.

Once roots are established and new shoots appear, the cutting can be gradually acclimated to normal greenhouse or indoor conditions and eventually transplanted to potting mix or the garden. Plantstek offers a relatively low-cost, scalable method of producing uniform plants.

Advantages include genetic fidelity to the parent, rapid multiplication, and low material costs. Limitations include variable success across species, a need for clean stock and careful hygiene, and potential disease risk if stock or media are contaminated. See also plant propagation, cuttings, grafting, and layering.