I have a marvelous collection of houseplants, and every one of these were absolutely free of cost. How did I get so many? By taking cuttings from my friends’ plants and rooting them at home.
House plants can be propagated in many different ways, however, the most common method of propagating house plants is through terminal cuttings, sometimes called tip cuttings. In commercial nurseries, these tip cuttings are often placed directly in potting soil, then covered with plastic tenting while the roots have a chance to develop. Many home gardeners root their houseplants by simply dropping a properly prepared tip cutting into a glass of water.
So what is a tip cutting?
Tip cuttings are a section of stem with at least one or buds. A properly sized tip cutting should be at least 4 or more inches in length and contain at least several leaves.
The anatomy of a stem
If you’ve ever taken a close look at a stem, you might notice that the stem contains a series of nodes ~ I like to think of them as joints. It is from these joint-like nodes that leaves, flowers, shoots, and roots develop. When taking a cutting that includes both leaves and nodes, you have all the components necessary for propagating a brand new plant.
How to root a cutting
Some houseplants are much easier to root than others, and the tip cutting method of rooting seems to work best on vining plants. Philodendron, pothos, prayer plants and grape ivies are a few examples of vining plants that can be easily propagated. Wax begonias, geraniums and certain varieties of peperomias can also be propagated using this method.
To remove a cutting from live plant, simply cut below the node. Remove the lowest leaves from the stem, and place the cutting in a lukewarm glass of water. Place in a sunny window, and watch new roots begin to develop somewhere after 3 to 5 weeks. During this period, it is important to keep an eye on the water level. Since roots will develop from the nodes, the nodes must be kept submersed.
Once the cuttings have a nice root system, it is time to transplant the plant into a container.
Transplanting the cutting
The cuttings should be planted directly into a container filled with moist, sterile potting soil. Since these cuttings do have a developed root system, they should be planted as you might a bare root plant. To create a fuller look, I will usually plant three plant cuttings in a single pot.
Fill the pot two thirds full with moist potting mix that has been tamped down. Set the roots on top of the potting mix, evenly spreading the roots in all directions. Careful add more soil to the top of the roots, until the roots are completely covered. Gently tamp the soil in place. Set the plant in an area where it will receive indirect light, and continue to keep the soil moist to the touch for at least a couple of weeks. Within 2 to 3 weeks, the roots should be sufficiently established.
Plant propagation is a fascinating hobby that teaches us the characteristics of plant development while adding to our own collection of house plants at little cost. Better yet, a home rooted plant is a marvelous gift that can be shared with friends and relatives
