Instructions

• 1). Fill a medium-sized flower pot with potting soil. Be sure to use a potting soil mixture that drains well.
  
  
• 2). Take a softwood stem, which is the new growth from the current year that is still soft, and use a pair of scissors or shears to cut a piece that is about 6 inches to 8 inches in length. This is best done during the last few weeks of spring.
  
  
• 3). Gently remove all of the remaining leaves from the bottom half of the lower section of the newly cut softwood stem. Leave just a few leaves toward the top 2 to 3 inches. This will encourage it to produce new root growth.
  
  
• 4). Take a stick about half an in diameter and put it into the potting soil in order to dig a small hole approximately 2 inches deep to plant the softwood branch in. Dip the bottom inch of the branch into the rooting hormone (only a light dusting is necessary), and plant it directly into the newly dug hole in the pot.
  
  
• 5). Pack down the soil around the stem. Make sure that it is securely standing upright, then water thoroughly.
  
  
• 6). Put the pot inside a clear plastic bag. Completely cover the plant around the sides and the top by blowing some air into the bag and tying it shut at the top opening with a rubber band. You can use a stick if you want to keep the bag from collapsing on the plant. Put it in a spot that does not get direct sunlight.
  
  
• 7). Every two or three days, open the bag and check the soil to see if it needs moisture. If it is dry then water it until moist. Continue this for about three weeks to allow time for the roots to develop.
  
  
• 8). Remove the bag after three weeks, and water the pot to keep it moist at all times. After the plant begins to outgrow the pot then find a permanent place for it outside in your garden.