Plant Propagation 101: How to Propagate Plants
We know that your plants bring you so much joy. We would think many plant owners would agree that the more plants, the merrier. So, have you ever thought about giving propagation a try? You can have the opportunity to use plants from your existing collection to create new growth, which can then increase your collection or make great gifts for friends and family starting to get a green thumb!
It may seem intimidating at first, but we are here to offer some helpful tips so you can see those roots sprout! Just remember to be patient, seeing new growth isn’t always something that happens immediately and will take time and attention.
There are a few ways to propagate, depending on your plant, so let’s talk through the most common ways to do it successfully.
How to Propagate from Cuttings:
You want to start with a strong, healthy plant. If your plant isn’t stable, cutting stems or leaves to propagate could harm the mother plant. Ensure that you have healthy leaves, stems, and roots and that your plant is growing well in the temperature and lighting it is in.
Some plants that are great for cutting propagation are spider plants, philodendrons, and pothos. Start with a glass of water (the same water you’d water this plant with) and some sterilized scissors. Having sterile tools is essential to keeping your plant and cutting safe from bacteria and disease. You can use any type of scissors you have, just clean it with rubbing alcohol before cutting.
You’ll want to trim below a node – this is where the stem connects to the main plant. Next, place your cutting in a glass of water. It doesn’t have to be glass, but that makes tracking root growth much easier since you can see right through to the bottom.
It's a good practice to change the water about once per week and let your roots grow long! Once the new roots reach about 4 inches in length, your new baby plant is ready to be planted. Find soil that has the right drainage tendencies for your plant and keep it moist for the first week or two of replanting - since your plant is used to being moist - then over time, transition to a regular watering schedule that you apply to a more mature plant.
Some of the best plants for cuttings:
Pothos
Tradescantia Zebrina
Monsteras
Philodendrons
Syngonium
How to Propagate from Root Cuts and Divisions:
If you’re looking to propagate a ZZ plant, which has rhizomes for roots, division is the way to go.
This process is quite different from cutting, as you need to remove the entire plant from its pot to expose the roots. Once you can see the roots (or rhizomes in ZZ’s case) you need to decide how you would like to divide it up.
Once again, like cuttings, it’s essential to start this process with a healthy plant, or your division could not only damage the mother plant but lead to unsuccessful growth with your division.
Find the location where the stem meets the rhizomes and using a clean, sharp knife cut through the rhizome to separate it from the main plant. Now, repot both plants! Depending on how much you removed, you may need to repot the larger plant into a smaller pot as well. Use fresh soil for both plants as well.
Watch both plants carefully to start, as they’re both under stress from the division, but after a few weeks, they should be as good as new!
Some of the best plants:
ZZ Plant
Snake Plant
Peace Lily
Boston Fern
Calathea
How to Propagate from Leaves:
If you are looking to propagate a cactus or succulent, you don’t have to go very far to get started. The individual ‘leaves’ or ‘pups’ on a succulent can be carefully removed and create new growth. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, just make sure your mother plant is fully healthy first!
You’ll want to find the healthiest, medium-sized pups on your succulent or cactus and remove the entire piece, including the node at the base, as that’s where new growth will come from. If it breaks during removal, you will have to choose another pup. Pull it slowly with clean hands and make sure to remove it one at a time.
Take that healthy pup and let it dry out a bit. You can do this on a clean paper towel. Once dried, move them to their new home, a clean pot with fresh soil – just place them on top of the soil – they will take longer to sprout roots than a cutting or division would. Keep the soil moist. Once you see new roots it’s time to plant in soil and decrease watering amounts, so you don’t drown your new plant!
Some of the best plants:
Echeveria
Sedum
Sansevieria (Snake Plant)
Have you had success propagating a plant at home? If so, we’d love to hear about it!