9 Popular Plant Propagation Techniques
All of the loving plant parents out there already know how much of a difference indoor plants can make. Hanging from the ceiling, positioned on the windowsill, or decorating your coffee table, houseplants can bring any room in your home to life! Once you get started taking care of a small indoor garden, it seems like you can never get enough of watching your plants change and grow. Indoor gardening might be a great hobby, but buying new houseplants can get expensive, and it's definitely not as fun as growing your own. Luckily, propagating most popular houseplants is easier than you might think! These 9 ways to propagate your plants will help you transform small cuttings into thriving plants, and your home into the lush garden you've always wanted it to be. Your green thumb is about to level up!
1. Anthuriums
1.1 To propagate an anthurium, cut some leaves off of an anthurium plant and stick the stems through small paper cupcake liners.
1.2 Pour some water into a shallow bowl or deep plate and place the cupcake liners on it, submerging the stems in water.
1.3 Let the anthurium cuttings sit on the plate or bowl for 7 days, making sure to refill the water as necessary. After 1 week, small roots will have formed on the stems and your new anthurium plants will be ready to be planted in potting soil!
1.4 Soon you'll have a gorgeous new anthurium growing in your home!
2. Snake Plants
2.1 To propagate a snake plant, cut off a healthy leaf just above where it hits the soil, then cut the leaf into small pieces. Cut a cucumber in half lengthwise and make slits in it. Insert the pieces of the snake plant leaf into the slits in the cucumber, making sure the cut edges are facing downwards.
2.2 Plant the cucumber directly in a large flower pot with potting soil, making sure the cucumber is completely covered with soil. Water the plant regularly, and after about a month you'll have a brand new snake plant for your windowsill!
3. Venus Flytraps
3.1 To grow more Venus flytraps, cut off some leaves of the plant, including the traps, right above where they reach the soil. Place the cuttings on some new potting soil and spray them with water frequently, making sure they're constantly moist. In no time at all, the Venus flytrap cuttings will form roots! Lightly press the roots into the potting soil and they'll start to grow. For the best results, use carnivorous plant soil and water your Venus flytraps with low-lime water. Keep your Venus flytraps happy by keeping them submerged in about ½ inch of water.
4. Devil's Ivy
4.1 Cut a short piece of devil's ivy off of the mother plant. Fill a cardboard egg carton with some potting soil, then place the piece of devil's ivy in it. Spray the potting soil with water to make it moist and seal the carton. After about 2 weeks, some roots will have grown.
4.2 Plant the devil's ivy in a flower pot filled with potting soil and attach the vine to a thin stick or wooden skewer.
5. ZZ Plants
5.1 To propagate a ZZ plant, cut a few leaves off of the mother plant. For each leaf you cut off, cut a slit in a tea bag and insert the leaf cutting.
5.2 Spray the ZZ plant leaves with water regularly, and after about 10 days, small roots will have formed.
5.3 Plant the leaves in a flower pot filled with potting soil and you'll have some gorgeous new ZZ plants for your home!
6. Ficus Trees
6.1 Propagating a ficus takes a little bit of preparation, but it's well worth the effort! Fill a glass jar with water, seal it with plastic wrap, and secure it in place with a rubber band. Disinfect a knife or scissors, then cut a thin branch off of the ficus. Stick the thin branch through the plastic wrap and let the ficus branch sit for about 4 days.
6.2 After 4 days or so, a small root will have formed on the thin branch. Plant your new ficus in a flower pot filled with potting soil and watch it grow!
7. Cacti
7.1 Believe it or not, cacti can also be propagated super easily. To cut off a piece of the cactus without getting injured, pull pantyhose over the tip of the cactus, then stick a wooden skewer through the top of the pantyhose. Rotate the wooden skewer a few times to wrap the pantyhose around it, then carefully cut off a piece of the cactus.
7.2 Pour some sand into a tall container and spray the sand with water. Hang the cut piece of cactus over the sand by balancing the wooden skewer on top of the tall container.
7.3 After about 2 weeks, a small root will have formed on the cut edge of the cactus. Plant the cactus in some potting soil and remove the pantyhose.
8. Radiator Plants
8.1 Propagating radiator plants is easiest when done in a slightly unconventional way. Place some cotton in a resealable plastic bag and moisten it with water. Cut a few leaves off of the mother plant, place them on the damp cotton, and seal the bag.
8.2 After about 4 weeks, the leaves will have started to grow roots and will be ready to plant in some new potting soil.
9. Orchids
9.1 Another plant that's surprisingly easy to propagate is the orchid. Fill a bowl with water, then add some honey. Cut a stem that doesn't have a flower on it off of the mother plant. Place the stem in the honey mixture and let it soak for 6 hours.
9.2 After the stem has soaked, plant it in some new potting soil with the cut side facing downwards. You need a little patience, but with some care and attention, the stem will soon grow into a beautiful new orchid!
These 9 indoor plants are surprisingly simple to propagate. That's not just good news for your personal plant collection, it also means that you'll always have a nice home-grown gift on hand whenever you visit friends or family!