Welcome to part 1 of our series, free baby plants! Today we’re going to learn everything you need to know about houseplant water propagation. Once you know how to do this you will have the tools to create more plants for your home for free!
Plant Propagation
You might be wondering what it means to propagate a plant. Propagation simply means taking a part of a stem or a leaf from a mother plant and growing it into a new baby plant.
Depending on the plant, there are many different ways to propagate plants. You can propagate plants in water, sphagnum moss, through air layering, or even sticking your cutting straight into some dirt. You can propagate plants from stem cuttings, leaves, division, offsets, plantlets, and cane cuttings. Today we’re going to be focusing on stem cuttings.
My favorite way to propagate plants is by using water. It’s one of the easiest ways to propagate houseplants and it’s pure magic watching a cutting root before your eyes.
Why Propagate?
- It’s fun!
- Create a tropical jungle inside your home for very little cost.
- Get new plants without any dirty looks from your significant other.
- A dying or diseased houseplant might be saved by propagating the healthy parts into a new plant.
- Propagate everything in sight and create a stunning propagation wall.
- If a plant grows too big you can cut it back and propagate those cuttings.
- Don’t have any money for a gift for a friend? Simply propagate and give them the gift of life!
- You can keep plants forever by simply propagating the mother plant into new babies.
Some of the easiest, most common houseplants out there are some of the easiest to propagate. You probably already own a plant that you can propagate in water or know someone who does. Most plant people are eager to share their passion for plants and willing to share a cutting. Always ask before cutting, I do not condone taking cuttings of houseplants, from stores or people, without permission. Always ask, the worst that can happen is they say no and the best that can happen is you get a plant for free!
Supplies:
1 healthy plant – I used a Pothos plant
A pair of clean and sharp gardening shears
A propagation station
Fresh room temperature water
Let’s Get Propagating!
Step 1
Take a cutting from the plant you want to propagate. I chose to propagate a Pothos plant because they’re some of the easiest plants to propagate, plus I love them and can’t seem to collect enough. To grow a plant cutting into a new plant, it must have a node.
Use your clean scissors to cut just below the node. You’ll want to take a cutting that is about 5 inches long and has a couple of healthy leaves. Next, cut off the bottom one or two leaves of your cutting if needed.
Step 2
Place this cutting in your propagation station with your freshwater. We love this beautiful propagation station however, it doesn’t have to be anything fancier than a clean, clear glass. Drop us a comment and let us know what creative object you’ve used to propagate plants.
Step 3
Place the cutting close to a window so it can get some bright indirect light.
Step 4
Make sure to change out the water to fresh every couple of days. When you do this you can also gently wash your cuttings if they’re getting any gunk buildup on the stem.
Step 5
Be patient. It can take weeks and even months to see roots form on a plant cutting.
Step 6
If you’re propagating a Pothos plant it shouldn’t take too long to see some roots start to grow. Once that cutting has a good amount of roots, usually around 4-5 inches long it’s time to plant. Take your cutting and plant it in some quality houseplant soil.
Step 7
Feel amazing that you created a new baby plant! You’re a wonderful plant parent! Eat a cookie to treat yourself.
Additional Tips
When trying to propagate houseplants it’s important to remember that you’re not always going to have success. But, don’t give up!! Plants want to be propagated, that’s their key to survival! Even if you don’t succeed at first, please give it another go until you have a new baby plant.
I’ve had a marble queen pothos for about seven years. It was the first plant I received in the houseplant class I took in college. I’ve propagated her so many times I can’t even remember the number. Almost every member of my family has a plant that came from this mama. Through propagation, plants can be passed on through friends and family and live on forever. It’s truly amazing and one of my favorite parts of houseplants.
Now that you have some fresh cuttings rooting in water are you thinking well maybe I don’t want just more of the same plants I already own? Well, stay tuned for part 2 of this series, how to get plants for free, where we’re going to learn how you can use these rooted cuttings to obtain different cuttings you’re dying for.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about water propagation for houseplants or any care information you may need about a plant you propagated. Looking for more plant care tips? Check out our favorite plants.
Jaedi Murph says
If I propogate from fruit trees will these new trees bear fruit?
Allyson says
Hey! My knowledge is limited to indoor plants so I’m not really sure I’m sorry!