Plantpropagation from cuttings demands precision and careful technique to ensure successful rooting. Selecting healthy stem sections near the plant's base provides the strongest potential for new growth. Avoid These Propagation Pitfalls: 6 Reasons Your Cuttings Are Conking Out. Don't fall for these propagation fails. Avoid these common propagationmistakes so that you can have free plants forever! Kathleen Walters's avatar. In the case of propagating, this preliminary clean can prevent the spread of disease to both your new cuttings and the parent plant. Co-owner of Fraser Valley Rose Farm Jason Croutch believes this mistake can make a big difference to propagation success or failure. Houseplant propagationmistakes – 8 common errors that are probably causing your cuttings to fail. Propagating houseplants might sound simple, but each method comes with its own pitfalls. Lilith Hudson's avatar. Propagating At The Wrong Time. Propagation of pothos by cuttings. Close-up of female hands placing plantcuttings into a glass of water on a wooden table indoors. There are also several more glass containers with pothos cuttings on the table. Common water propagationmistakes to look out for. If you like taking cuttings from plants as a way of getting more plants for free, avoid these common errors when propagating them in water. Discover six mistakes to avoid when propagatingplants by sowing seeds, taking cuttings and dividing - expert advice from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine. Propagation is one of the best ways to fill your garden with plants for free, so long as you listen to the pros and avoid these garden propagationmistakes.7 garden propagationmistakes to avoid. 1. Don't take cuttings at the wrong time of year. 2. Use the right compost. Here are 12 common water propagationmistakes you may be making and how to correct them. Propagating Everything in Water. Not all plants are well-suited to water propagation. Some plants will root far more quickly in soil or by other methods, such as air layering. Hardwood cuttings (the lower half of the cutting) from a Japanese spirea (Spirea japonica). So where is the mistake? Some plants, such as star jasmine, will grow well from hardwood and semi-hardwood cuttings. Common Errors in PropagatingPlants from Cuttings 4. paisleyplants. While taking cuttings, it is important to cut them correctly. Most plants root best when the cuttings are taken from the stem base. Each plant is unique in how it can be propagated. Don’t sweat propagatingplants… yet. One slip with your shears, one soggy pot, and you’ve just starred in a botanical crime scene. Rotting stems, shriveled tips, and zero roots laughing at your efforts. Propagation isn’t magic—it’s delicate warfare. Too-deep soil floods the base. Propagatingplants is usually pretty easy.The Mistake Too Many People Make When PropagatingPlants. By Annette Hird 6:00 pm EST. A gardener using pruning shears to take cuttings from a houseplant Nastasic/Getty Images.