If you’re a plant lover like me, every now and then you have to start sneaking your plants into the house so your spouse doesn’t see that you’ve come home with yet another one! There’s some good news though – by propagating your plants you can create new plants without any of the guilt! You can keep them to add to your collection or share them with a friend to bring joy to someone else. Best of all, propagation is easy and fun!
There are many plants you can propagate in water:
- Fig tree
- Rubber plant
- ZZ plant
- Snake plant
- Monstera Deliciosa
- Monstera adansonii
- Prayer plant
- Pothos
- Spider plant babies
A Pothos is probably the easiest plant you can propagate, making it a great choice for beginners! To propagate this plant:
- Find a piece of your pothos that has started to vine and look for the little nodes on the stem and cut a 3-inch piece. Pothos and trailing plants have root nodes just below each leaf. Cut right below the leaf node. This is where the plant’s new roots will grow. Don’t worry – you’re not hurting your plant. In a few weeks, the plant will heal and grow a new vine right next to the spot you just cut.
- Fill your vessel with room temperature water
- Place your cutting close to a window with bright indirect light
- Put your Pothos cutting in the water so the node is under the waterline. Cut off any leaves that are under the waterline as they will just turn brown and soggy.
- The next step is the hardest! Be patient! New plant growth won’t happen overnight, it will take at least 6-8 weeks for your new roots to start growing.
- Don’t forget to change the water regularly (once or twice a week), especially if you see the water getting a little cloudy. If your water has become cloudy or your plant has gotten a little slimy, run the stem and roots under room temperature water to take off the slime and wash your container out in soapy water before you add fresh water.
- Leave your Pothos plant in the water until the roots are about 4” and then plant it in a cute little planter of your choice!
It’s really that simple! Snip, put in water and eight weeks later – a new free plant!!! What’s not to love about that!
Don’t forget to put a propagating plant in a beautiful vase or glass! That way you can work it into your home decor as a beautiful accessory instead of just a work in progress.
Propagation is also a fun and easy way for your kids to learn about plants! It’s something they can monitor daily for progress.
Adding plants to your home is a simple way to add warmth and life to any space. Add some joy to your home or to a friend’s by propagating your favourite plant today!
