Plant Propagation is a simple yet rewarding way of growing plants from your existing lot. If you are a plant parent, then I’m sure you know how peaceful it is to have these green friends. And once you get one plant in your house, you always want more & more. I know that’s how I started propagating plants. It is also useful to maintain the current houseplants. You could divide & re-pot them or make new plant babies from them!
For different kinds of plants, though, one needs to use different type of propagation method. So here are four of the most easiest ways of plant propagation.
Plant Propagation By Cutting
For most indoor plants like Pothos, Snake Plants & Monsteras taking cuttings from stems works best.
Step1 : Take A Cutting
Take a healthy plant that’s grown well and has enough stems to take a cutting from. Look for one that has a few nodes (little bumps on the stem where the new roots would grow from).
It’s best to take one that has at least 4-5 leaves and 5-6 nodes to begin with. Cut those leaves into sections, making sure each section has a node.
Step 2 : Growing New Roots
Now, once you’ve got some nice leaves separated, you can take clean jars filled with water and pop those in.
Keep these glass bottles or jars in proper sunlight, and soon you’ll see new roots growing out of them. Watching these roots grow out through those glass bottles is such a treat visually too.
Step 3 : Planting Them In Pots
Once the roots grow like about 4-5 inches and look healthy to be able to sustain in soil, you can begin potting. Usually, it differs for each plant, but roughly in 2-3 weeks, the roots start to grow out beautifully.
Potting is all about getting a nice pot, well-fertilized soil and watering it as needed. And just like that, a new plant baby is born in your beautiful green family.
Plant Propagation By Trimming
The process of propagating by trimming is very much like leaf-cutting. Trimming is when you cut an individual leaf very close to the stem and place those in clean glass jars filled with water. It’ll have new roots in about a month and will be ready to plant in a new pot. This works best for plants like the Fiddle Fig or even the Rubber Plant.
Plant Propagation By Leaf Cutting
Leaf Cutting is where you take a handful of leaves and keep those on a sheet or any flat surface. Over time those tiny leaves have tinier roots coming out of them. Once that’s done, you can pot the leaves as-is into the soil. Propagating by leaf-cutting works best for succulents.
Plant Propagation By Root Division
For plants that have a lot of stems, root division is the way to go. Here you split the parent plant into smaller bunches that are ready to be re-potted. The method of Root Division works well for Catnips, Syngoniums and even Mint.
Step 1 : Making A Division
You might want to begin by taking out the plant from its existing space. Be careful not to destroy the current root system. Once you’ve done that, you can see where you wish to make the division. Then make a neat cut between the separate stems.
Step 2 : Re-Potting
Since the plant already has well-established roots, you can simply plant the division in a new pot. This way, it has enough space to grow freely, and your houseplants stay maintained and healthy.
These were some of the easiest ways of plant propagation. However, remember, like all things, these methods too take patience and a lot of practice. In case you find it difficult, you can always start with the plant Pothos, as it is one of the easiest to propagate.
Happy Propagating!