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When selecting a stem, you should look for young, green growth, as they have a better chance for taking roots when planted. Select a piece of stem with a few leaves on it. You want to be sure you're able to identify the nodes, which are places where a leaf meets the stem. You'll want to have enough length on the stem to plant it deeply within the soil so that it can form roots. It should have a few sets of leaves located along the stem. Once you've measured the stem, cut just below a node. The node will look like a knob in the stem where it connects to the rest of the plant. Make sure the node is still on the cutting.  Avoid handling the cutting by its stem or node by gently holding onto one of the lower leaves. You can sterilize scissors by wiping them with rubbing alcohol. This is to prevent contamination of the cells located at the node. While the new plant needs leaves to provide energy through photosynthesis, too many leaves will compete with the plant's efforts to send out new roots. Lower leaves will touch the soil and likely cause the cutting to rot, so they can be removed. By doing so, you can prevent them from wilting while you work. This is especially important for cuttings taken outside, because the sun can cause them to lose water quickly when removed from their plant.
Select a healthy stem with new growth. Measure the stem out to 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) long. Cut below a node with a sharp pair of sterilized scissors. Remove the lower leaves of the plant, leaving 1 or 2 pairs at the top. Gather your cuttings in a plastic bag containing a few drops of water.