Don't throw it away propagate it.

I'm pretty new to propagating, but it's my new favorite project.  A couple years ago I started a couple of longevity spinach, and a couple of Okinawa spinach. I started them using a rooting hormone planted in sand in the fall. I kept them outside in the shade.  Just before it got cold I potted them up and brought them in the house. They all made it with no grow light. They were beautiful plants by Spring. I gave them to family.

A few months ago I tried starting purple tree kale in a plastic bin in sphagnum moss. Outside in the shade. It worked very well. Unfortunately everything was covered with aphids.  I should have washed them off. I didn't want to risk giving people infested plants, so I started over. Two weeks ago I started more this time in soil.  They are all doing very well.

I bought a wandering Jew plant to grow by my chicken coop. It was a house plant, and I haven't hardened it off yet. I broke a large piece of when moving it. I cut it into small pieces, put them in water, and they are growing roots.

I work for a Co-op. Sometimes I get to run the register in garden.  The manager is known for ruthlessly trimming plants. Last Monday I have going to my break and noticed a long piece of plant he cut off a hanging basket. It was pretty wilted, but I liked the look of the plan and thought why not give it a try.  I cut it in 5 pieces and stuck it in water they already have roots. I can't believe it had noticable roots in about 4 days.  I think it is a creeping Jenny,  seems fitting.  About 6 weeks ago one of my coworkers gave me a few pieces of wandering Jew that broke off. They are also rooting. I figure as long as I take what is on the ground, or in the trash, there's no harm taking them. I never take anything I have trimmed at work. That way I don't have to worry someone might think I'm doing it on purpose.

The saddest one of all. A gopher chewed the roots off my new fruiting passion fruit vine.  Before I would have been very upset, and have no passion fruit vine, or at least have one less. I noticed it and put it into water.  Dug up the other two and put them in a pot for now. It looks like it is growing a root already. I'm going to cut it in two. Not only to double my chances, but so the plant has less to keep alive so it will concentrate on growing roots.

I'm hooked now. I've started looking around wondering what else I can propagate. It's so rewarding, and amazing to start with a stick, or a little chunk of plant and end of with an entire new plan.  

Thank you Jen for sharing your experience.

I love propagating plants by putting cuttings in water.

I like your idea of propagating the cuttings and then giving them to friends,

That is how most of my houseplants got started, years ago:

https://permies.com/t/161483/Pass-Plants

https://permies.com/t/212597/Memories

Thank you so much for sharing! Propagating is something I definitely want to learn more about and it's encouraging to hear of your experiences. It looks like you are doing very well at it.

There is a saying I've heard: "If you want to keep a plant, give it away". By propagating and giving away the resulting plants, if you do lose yours in the future, you may be able to get one back (or a cutting) from whomever you have given them to. Plants are also good currency to me (and other gardeners)!

I love doing this to. I like to keep the house plant trimmings and root them for holiday gifts. One of the best places to look for plant pieces is under hanging basket plants. They knock into thing in the breeze and break.

I did this yesterday!
I was carelessly around some crop cages and broke the central leader on a fruit tree.
I snipped it off, and got three cuttings put of it.
Stuck them in a subirrgated pot with some mulberry cuttings.
Will they take?
Maybe, but if they don't I can always compost/burn/ proline them later.

I think that's the best part about propagating. There's nothing to lose. Free plants for a little time and soil.  It's incredibly gratifying.  If it doesn't work you gain knowledge and try again.

You can also do this with green onion root ends, lettuce hearts, fresh herbs etc - eat the part you want and regrow the base until it gets too bitter…

That's a dream work for any gardener!
Sometimes the storm broke branches of my plants and I always tried to rescue by rooting them. It may take two months but many times it worked.

Just a little update.
Í planted everything I propagated in water into soil except the geranium, and the passion fruit vine. The geranium took a long time to grow roots, but finally did. I need to pot it in soil soon.  I'm not sure about the passion fruit. It looks healthy, but I don't see any root growth.  I will keep changing the water, and hopefully it will eventually grow roots.

I need a couple more basil, we love it and it makes an awesome companion plant for tomatoes. One of my basil plants was big enough I took a couple small cuttings.  I haven't tried it before, but what have I got to loose?

Update:  
one of the basil didn't make it, but one developed roots and is on its way to becoming a nice little basil plant.

All but one of the passion fruit vine died. The one that's left I don't think that's going to make it.  I think maybe I should have put a rooting hormone on them and put them in potting soil.  Luckily there were 3 plants in the pot. I dug the other 2 out of the ground and put them back in a pot. I need to make a gopher cage and get them in the ground. They are doing well in the pot. Hopefully they will grow well. Then I can try again in the future when there's enough vine it won't harm the plant to remove some.

The creeping Jenny and wandering Jew are growing very well.  I'm going to have to start thinking about permanent pots , and where they can live.  Right now they are in my seed starting station. It's definitely time to retire it to the barn until next year.  There's almost no natural light in my house.  I may need to make a plant stand and attach a grow light, so they will continue to grow.

The purple tree collards I started are ready to be given away.  I'm excited to share.

Root cuttings are great top. Pièces of blacklocust or Anna Paulownia of 2 inch thinger thick easily give a new tree. I know of experience.
Plums i've heard the dame about. I will try in winter.

Grapes are usually easy to propagate. My daughter has a couple that I like, so I asked her to call me over when the new growth was about 6" or so, so that I could get some cuttings. I put the two varieties in water and roots were eventually sprouted. I put the roots in some good soil, kept them moist, and they all immediately died!

I had some more roots developing, this time waited until I saw new growth leaves, and planted them in soil again. They all died within days!

I had one more stick that was the slowest to grow roots. I waited for it to grow new leaves. Just this week I tried something new. Instead of planting it in soil. I left it in the glass full of water and added some sandy river loam... to about half the depth of the water. A few days later it still looked good and the new leaves were still growing instead of dying... so yesterday I added some more loam until all of the water was now under loam. I am treating it is if it was still soaking in water (which it is) but now it has nutritious loam gently surrounding the roots.

So far I am very optimistic. I will have to take it out of its current drenched condition eventually. I am thinking of waiting a couple more weeks.

Anyone else have a similar experience??? I have never had a problem with such healthy looking roots before.

This is not going to be scientific, but it is based on a lot of research and also personal experience. Plants rooted in water are not forming the same kind or strength of roots as plants rooted in soil or sand. Usually I cut an aloe vera leaf, swipe cuttings in the the fresh gel, and plant each cutting in potting soil or silica sand. They can be set into soil or sand quite close together because apparently there is some kind of community communication in the rooting process and they essentially help each other grow. That’s a lovely image for all of us, isn’t it?  These are Incense Passionflower seedlings I started this spring in seedling trays of potting soil, then transplanted. They will overwinter in these 3” pots now.