Should You Be Using Super Glue On Your Propagation Cuttings?

Have you ever been frustrated when trying to propagate your favorite plants, that some of the little cuttings seem to brown off and die while others do just fine? The reality is that you're working with living plant material, and you're not ever going to have 100% success. Not even professional propagators who have been in the game for years will accomplish this. But in your search to achieve perfection, you may have come across a video on Instagram that suggests sealing the cut with super glue. "Great idea!" you exclaim. But before you attempt this, take heed because Tiffany Selvey, House Digest's Garden Editor and in-house Master Gardener, spoke exclusively to House Digest to give her expert opinion on whether it's a good idea or not.

Before we look at what she says in response to this hack, it's important to recognize why some cuttings will fail. Essentially, when you snip pieces off your plants, you're creating an exposed wound where you made the cut, just like you would if you accidentally cut your finger. This leaves the plant section susceptible to infection from pathogens that might be present in the water or propagation mix you're using. As you probably know, there are quite a few pretty plants that only need a bit of water for successful propagation, so you initially want to ensure that you're using the proper techniques.

To give you a sense of why dipping the ends of your cuttings into super glue is not ideal, Tiffany Selvey spoke exclusively to House Digest. Here's what she had to say: "My primary concern with sealing the end of a cutting with super glue is the fresh cutting's ability to absorb water to sustain new growth. When you consider the majority of a plant's water comes through the stem, then that stem is cut, the existing tissue still needs moisture to take up water until new roots form. Plants can absorb water through leaves, but I'm not sure it's helpful to seal off the stem."

"The other potential issue is, if sealing this cut does benefit the plant, how long will super glue adhere to plant tissue in water? I haven't tried this myself, but I would be surprised if it didn't fall off in a few days or less." We also asked Selvey why people believe this super glue trick is beneficial, and she responded with: "As stated in the Instagram video, taking a cutting for propagation creates an open wound that is susceptible to rot and bacterial issues. Sealing the end of a cutting can prevent these problems." However, for a possibly less problematic alternative to help prevent the growth of infections, you might like to try Pinterest's hydrogen peroxide trick, which involves dipping your cuttings in a diluted solution, but just make sure you take heed of the precautions. 

To help you achieve success with your own propagating endeavors, Tiffany Selvey, speaking exclusively to House Digest, had a much better suggestion. She explains: "When you take a cutting from a plant, it naturally creates its own callus — like a scab — to protect the exposed tissue from pathogens. Allowing nature to take care of the cut end instead of sealing it off before it has a chance to heal the cut itself is the best option."

Furthermore, there are a few other tips you need to consider. For example, you should only take cuttings from healthy plants as these will have a greater chance of producing roots. It's also important that your tools are clean and free from pathogens. If you're using pruning shears to gather your green materials, make sure you sterilize them first by wiping them with some isopropyl alcohol. This means there's no chance of infecting your cuttings with bacterial or fungal diseases. Plus, it's vital to always use clean water or a sterile propagation mix to get the highest degree of favorable results. You might even want to try propagating your plants in sand as this is a suitable, sterile medium that can promote excellent root growth as long as you remember to get builder's sand and never sand from the beach.