Next Stop: Propagation Station
A multitude of plants sounds like a good time, right? Did you know that it’s possible to start new plants from preexisting ones, giving you an endless supply? The process is called propagation, and it allows you to create a brand new plant from a parent plant, and the good news is that anyone can do it—it really is that easy.
Dive in with us as we explore the basics of successfully propagating one of your plants!
Water Propagation
Propagating in water is the most low-effort way to get a cutting to root. Place a cutting in water, wait a while, and chances are, you’ll have a new plant to add to your collection or pass on to a friend.
This process can take a while to begin—anywhere from a couple of weeks to a little longer than a month is within the realm of normal for propagation. Which is to say, yes, patience is required here in some cases!
Keep in mind, water propagation doesn’t work for every plant. You’ll mostly be using water propagation for plants that have nodes and the ability to push out aerial roots—it’s from these nodes that a new plant will grow. There are other plants that need to be divided by pulling the plant out of its planter and physically splitting the plant up.
For leafy, tropical plants, trimming below a node gives you a good chance of the cutting taking root. Once the roots are roughly a third of the size of the cutting or a few inches long, it’s safe to plant the cutting in soil and water regularly.
During this phase, you'll also want to be on top of the plant’s watering needs a bit as it acclimates to growing out of water and begins to strengthen its root system.
Soil Propagation
It’s also possible to skip water propagation and literally dive right into the soil. You can choose to plant the cutting into soil after you’ve let it callous over for a bit, or you can use the added benefits of dipping the cut end of your plant onto a rooting hormone powder to increase your chance of success before planting the cutting.
Either way, keep your newly-planted cutting in bright, indirect light in a preferably warm location. Keep the soil lightly watered — without any functioning roots, the cutting won’t be able to take in moisture as well.
Succulents
Succulent propagation is unique, because you don’t have to immediately plant them or stick them in water. Instead, to propagate a succulent, pick off a viable, healthy leaf from your plant. Let the picked-off leaf callous over for a few days, then gently stick it on top of a thin layer of soil and water lightly. Eventually, you should see a new, baby succulent coming out from the leaf you plucked. At this stage, you can stick the leaf in the soil to the point where the new plant is directly above the potting mix and continue to water lightly.
If you have any questions about the methods mentioned above, or any other possible methods, feel free to ask down below!
Written by: Egan Thorne
Photos by: Emily Kellett