user: How to clone a chili pepper plant?

assistant: Before anything you need to pick a branch to use. To take a cutting, you simply need to find a healthy branch. Cut off the end of that branch such that it has four or five small leaves on it. The stem should be between 7.5cm and 15 cm in length, or 3 to 6 inches. Also, make sure that you cut the green part of the branch. 

It is best to make these cuts in the evening, so the plant has the night to rest and recover, as this will put a lot of stress on the plant and could cause its health to suffer.

Next, you should wash your hands to avoid infecting the plant, you can even wear vinyl gloves to be extra safe. You should clean your pruning shears or a razor blade with isopropyl alcohol, again to keep pathogens away from the sensitive cutting. 

It is essential that you make the cut as clean as possible to maximize likelihood of the branch growing roots. Cut the branch at a 45-degree angle, near the main bush. For best results you need rooting gel to the base of the branch, where the cut was made, as soon as possible. Do not expose the cut on the branch to air for any extended period of time, or it will not grow roots.

Now, slide the bottom tip gently into a growing medium. This growing medium can, for example, be Jiffy pods, rock wool, vermiculite, peat, etc. Any substrate that allows air to flow and moisture to be retained can be used.

Keep the cuttings out of direct sunlight. Only place them in indirect sunlight or under low-powered grow lamps. If they receive too much light, they may quickly burn out.

Check your cuttings regularly to see if there are signs of disease. If so, remove that cutting immediately so that it won't infect the other cuttings. Also, if the leaves start to hang, you may want to consider removing some of the largest leaves. Like this, the cutting can focus more energy on growing roots while still having a few small leaves left.

It can take some weeks before roots start to form. After 6 to 8 weeks, your cuttings should have grown roots large enough to be considered established. At this point, you may transfer the cutting into soil such that it can continue to mature.

user: I've seen people sometimes use just a glass filled with water as the initial growth medium until the roots start growing. Would that work if I wanted to save on money?

assistant: Yes, using a glass of water to root chili pepper cuttings can work and is a very inexpensive method. The key things to keep in mind are:

- Make sure the glass is clean and the water is room temperature filtered water. This avoids pathogens and temperature shock to the cutting.
- Change the water every 2-3 days. This keeps the water fresh and provides oxygen to the roots as they start to grow. Stagnant water can lead to root rot.
- Once roots grow to 2-3 inches long, transplant the cutting to soil. The roots grow quickly in water and can become fragile, so they should be moved to soil before the roots get too long.
- Provide bright indirect light and keep the temperature warm. This encourages root and plant growth.

So using a glass of water can be a simple and affordable method to root chili pepper cuttings, as long as you are diligent about changing the water and transplanting once roots grow. With the right conditions, it can be just as effective as using a rooting medium.