Question: What is it about plants that makes it possible for you to grow them from a cutting rather than having to always start them from seed? I'm planning to expand my garden this season and want to grow a ton of new plants from cuttings and divide the plants I already have to move them around. It got me wondering about the process. Answer: Unlike animals, plants can reproduce both sexually and asexually thanks to the trait of totipotency. Totipotency means that almost every cell in a plant contains all the genetic information needed to form a whole new plant. Every cell can divide and differentiate into other cell types, if the need arises. This is why we can take a stem cutting and cells in that cut stem can go on to divide into the cells that form roots. Let's talk about the difference between these two types of reproduction in plants and how we can use them to our advantage. Sexual reproduction in plants results in the formation of either seeds (for both flowering plants and conifers) or spores (for ferns, mosses, algae and a few other plants). When conditions are right, these seeds or spores produced by the plant go on to germinate and grow into another generation. But, for many plants, asexual reproduction is another way to ensure the successful continuation of the species. For both plants and gardeners, this is a very good thing. While most gardeners I know enjoy starting new plants from seed, there's something extra special about acquiring a new plant via asexual reproduction. Also called vegetative propagation, asexual reproduction is a great way to get mature plants faster than growing from seed. Plus, it's fun and easy. Most plants asexually propagate naturally. They may form runners (think strawberries or spider plants), spread by underground stolons (think mint), or grow offsets to create a large clump that can then be divided via a process called crown division (think daylilies and hostas). For some plants, it's even as simple as a leaf falling to the ground in the rainforest and taking root to form a whole new plant. Or a slender branch arching down to come in contact with the ground and forming roots where stem meets soil in a process called layering. There are many natural ways plants asexually propagate. We gardeners have also learned to manipulate this process by learning how to take cuttings of certain plant parts — namely stems, leaves or roots — and then treating the cutting a certain way to encourage it to form a new plant. It's fun to experiment with vegetative propagation. Give it a try Here are some simple instructions for how to get started. 1. If you're propagating by crown division, the process is simple. Simply dig up the plant and cut it into pieces. As long as each piece contains a portion of the shoot system attached to a portion of the root system, it will be a successful division. This method works best for perennial plants and houseplants that grow in a multistemmed clump. 2. If you're propagating by above-ground runners or below-ground stolons, look for a runner or stolon that has formed a new baby plant at the end. For some plants, this may mean you have to dig down into the soil to find the stolon. Sever the runner or stolon from the mother plant and pot up the baby plant at its end into a container of its own. As long as you keep a portion of the baby plant's root system attached to the young shoot system, the process will be successful. 3. If you're propagating a plant via layering, simply force the branch to come in contact with the soil and pin it into place. Nicking the stem where it comes in contact with the soil often speeds up the formation of roots. Once the layered branch has formed roots where it contacts the soil a few months later, it can be cut from the mother plant and moved to a new location. This technique is great for propagating lots of different flowering shrubs, including hydrangea, forsythia, weigela, mockorange, lilac and many others. 4. If you're propagating a plant by taking a stem cutting, you'll want to invest in some rooting hormone. Available online or from local nurseries, this is a synthetic version of a plant hormone that's responsible for promoting cell division and differentiation. In most cases, dipping the bottomë-inch of the cut stem into the rooting hormone before inserting the cutting into a pot of soil causes it to form roots faster than if hormone were not used. Keep the soil around the cutting constantly moist until it forms roots a few weeks later. Some plants are easier to grow from stem cuttings than others. Try it with rosemary, phlox, coleus, fuchsia, impatiens, geraniums, vining houseplants, bee balm and many more. Horticulturist Jessica Walliser is the author of several gardening books, including "Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden,” "Good Bug, Bad Bug,” and her newest title, "Container Gardening Complete.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.