herb propagation

I took my sage cuttings off the flowering stems in August just to get free plants: three weeks later, mine were black at the base and my neighbour’s had roots

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I took my sage cuttings off the flowering stems in August just to get free plants: three weeks later, mine were black at t...

Taking cuttings from flowering sage stems nearly guarantees failure—while non-flowering growth thrives. One gardener’s black, rotting cuttings versus their neighbor’s healthy roots reveals the single botanical mistake that kills propagation. The solution is simpler than you think.

I put my basil cuttings in a glass of water in August just like my mint: a week later, I understood what the flower spike had taken from the stem

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I put my basil cuttings in a glass of water in August just like my mint: a week later, I understood what the flower spike ...

You carefully snipped basil cuttings just like your mint, but while mint sprouted roots within days, your basil sat motionless in the glass. The culprit? A tiny flower spike silently redirecting all the plant’s energy away from rooting. Understanding this one botanical detail transforms your propagation success rate.