Propagating new plants by taking cuttings from your current favorites is always a fun endeavor — until they fail to root. So, to avoid such torment, some gardeners aid their cuttings with rooting ...

Take a look at new shoots growing on a favorite shrub or vine and you’ll see that the bases of these shoots may be beginning to toughen up, their once soft, green outer layer turning brown and woody.

Q. When trying to get some plant cuttings to root, my friend suggested I use some willow water. – C.F., Springfield. Answer by Master Gardener Mark Bernskoetter Oregon State University found the ...