How to propagate croton from cutting

   In this video I'm going to show "How to propagate croton from cutting". Crotons (Scientific name is Codiaeum variegatum) are very popular ornamental house plants in tropical and subtropical climates because of their brilliant leaves in red, yellow, green, purple, orange and mixed colour all year round. It's a very low maintenance plants.

The croton plant can grow 3 to 8 feet high with a spread of up to 6 feet. In extremely favorable conditions, it can even reach up to 12 feet. Crotons plants are grown as an indoor or outdoor plants in indirect sunlight in most climates.Too much sunlight bleaches the colors of the leaves, actually many croton cultivers prefer, light shade partial shade. However, many crotons cultivars can grow best in full sun.

Crotons are cultivated in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands and also a native of Australian.

Following is a step by step guide on growing croton from cutting:

1) Cut a stem of 5-6 inch length at 45-degree angle from an actively growing healthy and mature croton bush using a pair of clean, sharp pruning shears. The croton cutting should have at least three sets of leaves at the top. The cut should be just below a leaf joint.

2) Remove all the leaves at the bottom and cut all the top leaves into half or less.

3) Take a polybag or small pot and fill it with equal part of fine sand (river sand) 40% and garden soil 40% and organic compost 20%.

4) Dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone.

5) Make a hole in the soil in the pot and insert the cutting into the soil. You can put 3-4 cuttings in different holes in the same pot.

6) Place the pot in shade where temperature is at 20-30°C.

7) Croton cuttings take about 4 weeks to develop new roots and new leaves start to emerge.