Propagating house plants is a fun and fast way to grow and share your plant collections. Expanding your collection is as simple as cutting your desired plant and selecting your favourite way to propagate. Not sure how to propagate your house plants? Not to worry, I’ve listed a handful of my favourite methods for you to learn from and choose your favourite!
Taking your cuttings
- Cuttings should have at least 1 set of leaves
- Cuttings should always be taken from healthy plants
- It’s best to take cuttings from branches that don’t have flowers on them
- Always use clean cutting tools
Water Plant Cutting Propagation
- Water propagation is my favourite way to replicate my houseplants. It’s easy to do, usually roots cuttings quickly and I get to watch the roots form through the glass of water.
- How-to: Using clean scissors or a clean knife, cut your desired plant where the leaf or leaf stem meets the plant limb. For cuttings like spider plants, these come as clusters and don’t need to be cut, they can go right in the water.
- Place in a cool cup of water and place in a windowsill, with indirect sun if possible.
- Make sure you change your water regularly, about once a week, or if you see the water changing colour.
- Pot up your cuttings when you begin to see that your cutting has a few centimeters of root growth
- If your cutting for some reason, just won’t root in water, try the next propagation method, some plants do prefer compost over water.
Rooting cuttings in compost
- You can use a tray, individual pots like terra cotta, or reusing containers such as yogurt pots to root your cuttings in compost.
- Terra cotta works great because the pot will hold in the moisture for longer.
- Fill your plant container to the top with compost, general-purpose compost works just fine. You can also try coconut coir or vermiculite.
- Tamp your container slightly to pack the growing medium a bit
- Using a pencil, chopstick, or end of a paintbrush (for example), make holes for your cuttings. Feel free to grow multiple cuttings into one container to save space, you can always pot them up after they root.
- Place your cuttings in each hole and surround, gently with compost/growing medium.
- Give your cuttings a thorough drink of water and place in partial shade
- Check-in regularly to make sure they haven’t dried out and are growing.