Taking Cuttings

• Lantana rootings are made by taking herbaceous stem cuttings from a parent plant. Terminal shoots are ideal for cuttings, as they root more easily than older, woody stems. Cut off a section of plant using sharp, clean scissors or a knife, making the cut just below where a leaf is attached to the stem. Lantana, a slow rooter, will benefit from a rooting hormone, especially during seasons of low light and temperature. Use the proper concentration of hormone to encourage faster and more uniform root growth. Remove leaves from the lower half of the cutting, dip it in the hormone and place it 1 to 2 inches deep in the rooting medium.
  
  

Rooting Media

• Do not use field or potting soil for lantana rootings. The soil will pack too tightly and may harbor diseases. Suitable rooting materials include sand or a mixture of half sand and half peat moss, compressed peat pellets, vermiculite, perlite or a mixture of perlite and peat moss.
  
  

Preparation

• Pots, tools and rooting media should be sterile and clean. Wash pots or planting cells using standard cleaner and disinfectant. Treat tools similarly or dip them in alcohol. Most new rooting media do not require sterilization. Otherwise, moisten the rooting medium and heat it at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 20 minutes.
  
  

Care

• It is extremely important to maintain high humidity around the rootings, and the rooting medium should never dry during the rooting process. However, overmisting and too wet or entirely saturated growing medium will negatively impact cuttings. The air temperature around the cuttings should be maintained between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, decreasing slightly as rooting increases. The bottom temperature should ideally be kept barely above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature may also be lowered once roots develop. Ideal light levels should be maintained. Growers in Southern climates might need to provide shade for the first few weeks after the cuttings are taken; Northern growers might need to use supplemental lighting.
  
  

Time to Rooting

• Lantanas are slow-rooting cuttings, typically requiring at least four to five weeks to take root. Around this time, begin checking to see if the rootings are ready for transplant. Gently remove a cutting from the growing medium and inspect the root. If roots are at least an inch long, the rooting is ready to be transplanted.