= Vegetative propagation
<Vegetative propagation> is <asexual reproduction> of a <plant> from vegetative parts, such as a <plant stem>, <leaf> or <root (botany)>. In a common artificial example, a detached <plant cutting> forms new <adventitious roots> and becomes an independent <plant>. No union of <gametes> is needed to produce this descendant. <Plant clone> describes the resulting lineage; <vegetative propagation> describes the process.
A soft shoot presents a useful physiological problem: its <leaves> can lose <water> before it has a functioning <root (botany)> system. The RHS procedure therefore uses young non-flowering shoots, moist growing medium and a humid enclosure while rooting occurs, followed by gradual exposure to less humid conditions. This is a practical application of the balance between <water> supply and <transpiration>, rather than a guarantee that every detached <plant stem> can regenerate.<Cuttings: softwood by the RHS Advice Team>[How to take softwood cuttings; aftercare and hardening off]{ref}
An experimental rooting comparison should specify both the denominator and the endpoint. If six of ten <plant cuttings> produce visible <adventitious roots> by a stated day, the observed rooting fraction is $6/10=0.6$. That hypothetical result measures this protocol and starting material; it is neither a universal property of <vegetative propagation> nor proof that the remaining four <plant cuttings> are dead.
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