Propagation: What’s easiest and how to master it!
By Maddy Hogan
Collecting indoor houseplants has morphed from a pandemic essential, into a longer term trend with enhanced benefits for your living space aesthetic as well as your personal health. From stunning foliage that features intricate designs and colors, plants have the ability to purify our air of toxins while proving to become an integral part of our home and office decor. One of the additional benefits of indoor houseplants is that they are easily propagated, creating new plants to share with friends, add more greenery to your space, or fill in an older plant that needs some TLC. Below we will be jumping into what propagation is, methods of propagation, and what houseplants are the easiest to propagate.
You may be thinking ‘what is propagation?’ Propagation is the sexual or asexual reproduction of plants. Sexual reproduction of plants through seeds is common, but not always the best results and often the plant may appear different than the parents. Asexual propagation is extremely successful with indoor houseplants as it creates a genetic duplicate of the parent plant from a stem, root, or node and can be carried out through water or soil propagation which we will dive into next.
There are two main methods of propagating houseplants: water propagation and soil propagation.
- Water Propagation: involves rooting the plant in water. It is a simple and effective way to propagate many indoor plants.
- Soil Propagation: involves rooting the plant in soil. It requires a bit more effort, but it is an excellent way to propagate plants that do not root well in water.
What you will need for propagating your indoor houseplants:
- Pruning shears, ensure these are clean and ideally sterilized prior to use to ensure a healthy snip.
- Small pots or containers
- Soil mix (if soil propagation)
- Water (if water propagation)
- Rooting hormone (optional), we recommend Clonex which we sell online and in our shop in downtown Napa.
- Here are Riza’s recommended plants that are easiest to propagate and will likely deliver the best results for first time propagators:
- Pothos
- Philodendron
- Monstera
- Peperomia
- Pilea
WATER PROPAGATION
We will start with water propagation, as it is a mess-free and effective way to propagate many indoor houseplants.
Step 1: Choose a healthy stem cutting that is 2-3 inches long. Make sure the cutting has a few leaves on it.
Step 2: Use your sterilized pruning shears to cut the stem at a 45-degree angle. This will increase the surface area for the plant to absorb water.
Step 3: After making the fresh cutting, spray generously with Clonex or a rooting hormone of your choosing to expedite the process as this will stimulate root growth and generation..
Step 4: Fill a small container with water and place the stem cutting in the water. Make sure the stem is fully submerged in the water. We recommend using a propagation station for optimal results and have two options that we sell online or in our downtown Napa location.
Step 5: Place the container in a bright area, but not in direct sunlight. Refresh the water every few days to prevent bacterial growth.
Step 6: After 4-6 weeks, you should see roots starting to form. Once the roots are at least an inch long, you can transplant the cutting into soil. To ensure a smooth transition from water roots to soil roots, we recommend repotting a water propagated cutting into a Jiffy pot filled with moistened soil into a small (4” recommend) dirt filled pot. The Jiffy pot is biodegradable and will allow for a smooth transition from moistened soil to regular waterings as the roots harden from water to soil.
SOIL PROPAGATION
Soil propagation requires a bit more effort than water propagation, but it is an excellent way to propagate plants that do not root well in water.
Step 1: Choose a healthy stem cutting that is 2-3 inches long. Make sure the cutting has a few leaves on it.
Step 2: Use your sterilized pruning shears to cut the stem at a 45-degree angle. This will increase the surface area for the plant to absorb water.
Step 3: After making the fresh cutting, spray generously with Clonex or a rooting hormone of your choosing to expedite the process as this will stimulate root growth and generation.
Step 4: Fill a small pot with a soil mix, we recommend using a Jiffy pot centered within a 4” nursery pot. Make a small hole in the soil with your finger or a pencil.
Step 5: Place the stem cutting in the hole and gently press the soil around it to secure it in place.
Step 6: Water the soil until it is moist, but not waterlogged. Place the pot in a bright area, but not in direct sunlight.
Step 7: After 4-6 weeks, new growth and roots should start to form. Once the roots are well-established (6-12 months), you can transplant the plant into a larger pot.
Tips for Successful Propagation
- Choose healthy plants - Make sure the plant you are propagating is healthy and disease-free. Avoid plants with yellowing leaves or signs of pests.
- Use sharp pruning shears - Use clean and sharp pruning shears to make a clean 45-degree cut on the stem.
- Avoid direct sunlight - Keep the stem cutting in a bright area, but not in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause the plant to wilt or burn.
- Change water regularly - If using the water propagation method, change the water every few days to prevent bacterial growth.
- Be patient - Propagation takes time and patience. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Keep the plant in a warm and humid environment and give it time to grow.
If you have questions about where to cut your plants for propagation, how to repot plants you’ve been propagating into soil, or any of our propagation stations or materials we are more than happy to help. You can find propagation related items in our online store or in person at our First Street location in downtown Napa at 1300 First Street, Suite 355!
