Do you want to propagate your houseplants to give some to your friends? Someone gifted you a cutting, and you’re wondering how to take care of it?
I will help you.
As a florist, I spend my days caring for indoor plants and helping my clients find the best ones for them, as well as how to take care of them. Moreover, beyond my profession, plant care is truly a passion of mine, as my home increasingly resembles a real jungle!
Today, I’m sharing my secrets for successfully propagating indoor plant cuttings and maximizing their growth.
Whether you want to give a gift or expand your collection of houseplants, cuttings allow you to easily and freely create new plants from the ones you already have. There are two distinct methods. The first is water propagation, where you take a section of the parent plant and place it in water. This method works well for climbing plants like Pothos, Ivy, and Tradescantia. The second method is clump division, which involves removing the plant from its pot, separating a shoot from the parent plant, and replanting it in a new pot. However, these propagation methods are not suitable for cacti and succulents, trees, or certain outdoor plants like roses.
Want to learn more? Keep reading to discover:
- What is a cutting?
- Which houseplants are best for starting cuttings?
- Two effective and simple methods for propagating cuttings
- How to maximize the chances of success for your cuttings
- Plants that can be propagated in different ways
What is a Cutting?
Have you grown beautiful plants at home that you care for every day? Do you want to share them with your loved ones so they can enjoy them too, without having to buy the same plant?
There is a solution: propagation by cuttings!
While there are other methods to propagate houseplants (such as layering and seeding), the simplest technique is to take a cutting, which involves snipping off a piece of the above-ground part of your plant and encouraging it to grow roots, so you can then replant it.
Unlike sowing, propagating by cuttings allows you to create a clone of the parent plant. If you have a plant with a unique pattern—commonly referred to as variegation—you can be sure that by taking cuttings, you will produce an identical plant.
To successfully propagate your plants without damaging them, it’s essential to follow a few simple rules. You’ll discover these as you continue reading, so you can quickly become a propagation pro!
How to Take Cuttings from Your Houseplant
In this article, I will show you how to propagate the easiest plants to multiply: indoor houseplants.
To begin, I invite you to explore in more detail the various propagation methods that exist, so you can gain a better understanding of this fascinating phenomenon.
The Equipment
To take cuttings, you’ll need to gather some supplies, as well as a cleanable workspace to work in.
Here’s a short list of essentials for the big day:
- A pruning shear for cutting stems
- Some potting soil, which will serve as your substrate
- Some transparent vases or pots
- Water
- A bit of sand to lighten your substrate (not essential, but highly recommended!)
To give your cuttings the best chance to thrive, you can also purchase from a garden center:
- From the cutting hormone
➡️ This is a nourishing concentrate that will provide the young plant with all the minerals it needs to grow strong roots and healthy leaves.
- Clay beads
➡️ Placed at the bottom of the pot when you plant your cuttings about 1 to 2 centimeters thick, these small beads help keep the soil moist.
Step-by-Step: Cutting Day
Today, I invite you to explore two cutting propagation techniques with me.
The first method relies on the principle of cutting a stem and placing it in water, while the second involves taking a part of the original plant known as a “sucker” and planting it directly in the soil.
👉 Regardless of the technique used, propagating plants through cuttings, like repotting, should be done during the first beautiful days of spring ☀️, when the plant is awakening from its dormant period. This helps to avoid unnecessary stress on the plant.
Stem Tip Cuttings in Water
This method applies to vine-like plants as well as many other types of green plants.
Here’s how to proceed:
🔸 Choose a few healthy young shoots from your plant. They should look vibrant and robust. Cut them to about 4 to 6 inches in length, depending on the size of your plant, using pruning shears.
✔️ To know where to cut, refer to the following diagram:
🔸 Next, you will need to immerse the lower third (or even half) of your cutting in clear, fresh water, in a transparent container. Before doing this, remove any leaves that might come into contact with the water to prevent them from rotting.
✔️ You can place a small piece of charcoal at the bottom of the container to keep the water clear.
✔️ If you’d like, you can also place aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the top of your container, securing it with rubber bands. This will help support your cuttings.
🔸 Regularly check the water level. Once your cuttings have developed nice roots that are at least a few inches long, you can replant them in small pots that are appropriate for their size.
Propagating a Sucker in Soil
Also known as “clump division,” this method is practiced during repotting. As the name suggests, it involves dividing plants that grow in clumps into several smaller plants. Each of these plants should have healthy roots and vigorous leaves.
Here’s how to proceed:
🔸 Repot the plant and remove some of the soil to inspect the roots.
🔸 By hand or with a knife, gently separate shoots from the plant.
🔸 Remove any damaged or dry parts, and repot each small plant into a suitably sized pot using a mix of ⅓ sand and ⅔ potting soil.
🔸 Water generously and keep the pots in a sheltered light until growth resumes.
What Technique Should You Use to Propagate Your Green Plant?
The two methods explained in the previous lines do not apply equally to all indoor plants. Most have their preferences: to make your gardening experience easier, I’ve prepared a short list of the main indoor plants, sorted by propagation method.
👉 Are one or more of your plants missing from this selection? Feel free to leave a comment at the end of the article with their names, so I can provide you with personalized advice based on their species.
Plants to Propagate in Water
- Begonia
- Scindapsus or “Pothos”
- Chlorophytum or “Spider Plant”
- Papyrus
➡️ To propagate Papyrus, simply take one or more umbels, keeping about 2 inches of the stem, and place them in a container filled with water.
- Tradescantia or “Wandering Jew”
- Monstera Deliciosa
- Cissus or “Indoor Vine”
- Ivy
- Hypoestes
Scindapsus “Photos” / Spider Plant / Begonia Maculata
Plants That Can Be Planted Directly in the Ground
- Alocasia or “Elephant Ear”
- Ceropegia or “String of Hearts”
- Pilea
- Dieffenbachia
- Calathea
- Spathiphyllum
- Asparagus
- Zamioculcas
Pilea / Alocasia or “Elephant Ear” / Zamioculcas or “ZZ Plant”
Which Plants Cannot Be Propagated Using These Methods?
While the two methods mentioned earlier work well with most indoor houseplants, there are certain plants that cannot be propagated this way.
To save you from trying to propagate these plants in vain, I’ve put together a short list for you in the following lines.
Cacti, Succulents, and Fat Plants 🌵
These plants do not like to be submerged in water and require a specific type of soil to grow properly.
I will go into detail about their multiplication method in an upcoming article dedicated to them! 😉
Some Outdoor Plants 🌹
When it comes to outdoor plants, propagation can sometimes be more challenging to manage. Some plants, such as bamboo or mint, can actually spread very easily on their own and are quite invasive.
For some, the previously explained clump division method won’t work: it will be necessary to proceed with seeding.
Finally, some plants, like roses, require specific methods, which I will discuss in a dedicated article.
Trees 🌳
Finally, it can be quite challenging to propagate trees without sowing seeds. Since their growth is relatively slow, I recommend that you buy a shrub directly from a store.
Now you’re ready to take cuttings from your houseplants! If you’re reading this in the spring, take advantage of it because it’s the perfect season. 😊
In the meantime, if you’re looking for some decor or plant and flower gift ideas, I suggest you check out our specialized online shop! You’ll find a variety of floral items, such as eternal roses, rose bears, and flower crowns…
