Still don't know your location; knowing where you are we could give more specific answers. Also, are you growing indoors or outside?
As for getting plants for free by taking cuttings, use a Google Search with the key words 'Forsythe Pot' and you'll see my favorite method for propagating plants. Other folks have their favorite methods for getting cuttings to root.
For your question: ".is there a general root how to cut parts of without killing them?"
Not sure if you are asking if cutting parts off will kill the 'mother' plant or will kill the cuttings, so I'll answer both ways...
If you wait until the 'mother' plant has made sufficient growth, you can safely take one or two cuttings. As a matter of fact, for many herbs pinching/taking cuttings will encourage a bushier growth which is a good thing.
As far as killing the cuttings is concerned, there is no guarantee that every cutting will successfully root. In some cases you have 100% success; sometimes as low as 10% success, but you will not know unless you try.
Good luck. :thumbsup:
Not an herb, but for example of how many plants you can get for free:
I purchased one Alternanthera plant $3 US, and (using the Forsythe Pot method) successfully rooted more than 90 cuttings from that single plant.
Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering. I don't automatically assume that all members of ATP live in the US. Since the Forsythe Pot method relies on the use of Vermiculite, which may not be available in all countries, it's good to know the location of the person asking the question as maybe I could give an alternate answer.
