How to Propagate Houseplants: A Beginner’s Guide
There’s something magical about growing your plants at home. Sometimes, multiplying them might seem terrifying, but it comes with great benefits. By following the right tips, you don’t have to worry when starting houseplant propagation. Want to learn about propagating houseplants? Read on to find the best tips!
If you are new to house plant gardening and want to learn more about the propagation process, you are at the right place. Today, let’s discuss why houseplant propagation is so widespread and how to do it right!
Defining Plant Propagation – What is it?
Before discussing anything else, we first need to understand plant propagation. Simply put, it’s growing more plants than you already have. This article will mainly discuss asexual houseplant propagation when you use methods like cutting or layering to produce new plants.
Propagating your houseplants: reasons to do it
Before we learn to grow more plants than we already have, we must discuss why this is a great option. Before you invest your time in learning this process, knowing why houseplant propagation is a fantastic choice is essential. Here are a couple of reasons to convince you to try it out yourself:-
- One of the most affordable ways to have more plants instead of spending money to buy them from outside
- They make for a unique and sentimental gift you can give loved ones, and they will surely appreciate the thought.
- If you constantly worry about houseplants growing too big, propagation is one of the best ways to deal with that stress.
Now that you know more about houseplant propagation and why you should do it, it’s time to learn the best ways to multiply your houseplants!
How to Propagate Your Houseplants
There are a few different ways in which you can approach houseplant propagation:-
- Stem Cutting
Stem cutting is one of the most popular methods for houseplant propagation, but it can sometimes be complicated. You need to know what you are doing not to hurt the plant. In this case, you need to know where to cut. The trick is to find a healthy stem with many leaves that are reasonable indications of a perfect branch for propagation.
Use a sharp knife to cut near the leaf joint, and ensure that you leave a few leaves at the top of the stem. The node is where a new leaf or bud will grow, so keep that safe as you cut. Then you can dip the freshly cut step in honey or rooting hormone before planting it in the ground or a pot.
You can also use water if you don’t have rooting hormone available. Cut the stem as explained before and place it in a fresh pot of water. Ensure the water is at room temperature, and you should start seeing new roots in a few weeks. The growth also depends on the plant type, so we advise you to have patience with the process!
- Leaf Cutting
If you wish to propagate houseplants that don’t have a central stem, leaf cutting is the next best option for you to choose. Often gardeners use this technique to propagate succulents, and there are a few different ways to do leaf cutting.
Depending on your plant type, you can get a shoot with leaves, a single leaf, or a small section of a leaf cut. As done in stem cutting, dip the leaf in the rooting hormone before planting it in your chosen place. Plant the leaf so that two-thirds of it is in the ground and the rest is facing the direction in which you want the new plant to grow.
Propagating advice to remember at all times-
Perfect the repotting
Once the new plant shows signs of healthy growth, it is time to separate it from the parent and plant it in a different pot. In leaf cutting, generally, you need to remove the parent leaf once the new plant is ready for repotting.
Choosing the right plants for propagation
This might seem obvious, but you must ensure you choose a healthy plant as the parent for growing your new plants. Choose plants that have successfully survived in your garden over the years. That way, you will have more success in the propagation process.
Do research before deciding on the method of propagation
We discussed two strategies for houseplant propagation, namely leaf and stem cutting. But there are other options for you to choose from, namely root cutting, water propagation, etc. The choice depends on the types of houseplants you have. It would be best to research which propagation method works most with them. So ensure you do some studies before you dive into multiplying your houseplants.
Keep your patience in check
Houseplant propagation, as discussed before, can take a long time before you see the desired results. Weeks might be spent waiting, and it is easy to lose your patience. Please keep your eyes on the plants, ensuring they have enough sunlight and water. You will succeed as long as you give them the utmost attention!
Mistakes to steer clear of in plant propagation –
Incorrect selection of rooting hormones
When it comes to propagating houseplants, as you might already have noticed, the type of rooting hormone you use plays a significant role. You must choose the right one based on the kind of houseplants and what they need to thrive. Although common types are available, you can customize the hormone per your needs. Customization also improves the chance of your houseplants successfully propagating.
Forgetting the importance of hydration for plants
Cuttings are more at risk of dehydrating as they are not directly connected to roots that provide water. Once you have the cuttings, carry them around in a plastic bag full of water. That way, they won’t get dehydrated while planting them.
We also suggest covering the pots with plastic bags if you keep them outside. Also, only exposing them to humid weather will enable you to prevent water loss. Constantly check if your new plants get enough water, so you don’t need to worry about them dying because of dehydration.
Conclusion
Today, we discussed houseplant propagation and everything you need to know about it. We discussed why propagating is essential and all the tips you need to do it successfully. We hope you are now less intimidated by the propagation process and can now successfully multiply your houseplants!!