Grow your plant collection by taking leaf or stem cuttings
Many of the most popular houseplants are easy to propagate through one of three ways — via cuttings, root division or pups. By propagating your plants, you can instantly multiply the number of plants you have in your home without buying new ones. Here are some tips about how to go about it.
Plants that are easy to propagate with cuttings
Propagating plants from leaf cuttings is as easy as snipping off a stem with a few leaves and rooting it. Cut with clean shears just below a node. You may root by placing the cutting in water until roots form and then transplanting into soil — or by planting directly in soil. Rooting powder may be used to encourage root growth when planting a cutting in soil.
The following plants are easy to propagate from stem cuttings using the above method:
Pothos
Tradescantia
African violets
Philodendron
Monstera
Plants that are easy to propagate with root division
Multi-stemmed houseplants can be divided to create one or more additional potted plants. Take the plant from its pot and tug gently at one stem to separate the roots. If the plant won’t separate, cut through the roots with a knife. Re-pot and keep out of bright light and evenly moist until the new plants are established.
Plants that respond well to propagation with root division include:
Boston fern
Peace lily
ZZ plant
Sansevieria
Calathea
Plants that are easy to propagate with pups
Plants that produce “pups” or small offshoots of themselves do most of the work of propagation for you. For the best chance of success, let the pups grow to about three inches in size before cutting them off with sharp, clean shears. Plant them directly in their own pots.
Here are some plants that produce pups:
Spider plant
Aloe vera plant
Bromeliad
Ponytail palm
Alocasia
