Write an article based on this "Prepare your tools. Cut the stem. Strip the stem."
Clean all tools used for cutting with warm soapy water. Sterilize the tools by wiping them with alcohol. The type of tool you use will depend on the plant, but common tools include pruning shears, scissors, razor blades and sharp knives. There are several different types of cuttings that can be used to propagate herbs. Determine the type of cutting you desire, and cut the stem accordingly. Regardless of the type, the cut should be at an angle to maximize the cambial tissue exposed to the soil. Cut right below a node, which is a joint or growing point of the stem from which side branches and leaves may grow. Remove a tip cutting. A tip cutting is removed at the end of a stem. The plant will grow upward and often produces a single vertical stem. A tip cutting is ideal for creating a topiary. To remove a tip cutting, cut about 5 or 6 inches (12.7 or 15.2 cm ) from the tip of a stem. The stem can be a main stem of the plant or a healthy side shoot. Take a sectional cutting. A sectional cutting is from the middle of the stem, so it has 1 cut on each end. Herbs propagated from sectional cuttings typically are bushy because they grow through side shoots. Slice the upper portion of the cutting straight across the stem, and the lower portion of the cutting at an angle. This helps in recognizing the top of the cutting from the bottom. You can take a sectional cutting with a single node, or with several nodes. Remove a basal cutting. A basal cutting is an entire side shoot that is about 6 inches (15.2 cm) long and typically unbranched. Basal cuttings tend to root quickly because the cutting is younger than the main stem. Basal cuttings typically grow up in direction, similar to a tip cutting. Remove a basal cutting where the side branch meets the main stem. Take a heel cutting. A heel cutting is a basal cutting with part of the main stem attached. To remove a heel cutting, hold a side shoot where it connects to the main stem, and pull down so that a shallow strip of the tissue from the main stem peels off with the shoot. The tissue from the main stem encourages rooting and is not likely to damage an established plant. Do not take 2 heel cuttings opposite from each another or you may weaken the stem. Remove all side shoots and leaves from approximately the lower two-thirds of the stem. Stripping the stem creates a wound at each node, which exposes more cambial tissue and encourages rooting. Removing the leaves and stems also helps to prevent root rot.