Plant One on Me: 3 Easy Steps to Plant Propagation

The fool-proof guide to propagating plants with ease!

The trees are in full bloom, and inside, houseplants seem like they’re waking up from winter hibernation. Which means…it’s the perfect time to learn how to propagate plants.

What is plant propagating exactly? It’s really just a fancy way of saying that you can get new plants from the plants you already have…for free! Who wouldn’t want that?!

Click through to learn all about plant propagation in three easy steps!

What you Need to Know About Propagating Plants

There is a lot of information out there about how to propagate plants.

If you hop on Google and do a quick search, you’ll see everything from different propagating techniques to stuff called “rooting gel”. Rooting gel is supposed to help grow new plants.

But honestly, I’ve had a lot of success just keeping things as simple as possible with my plants – particularly succulents, philodendrons, and fiddle leaf figs. 

So, I thought I would share my quick guide to propagating plants.

Consider this a basic how-to though, not a super scientific break down. Because when it comes to propagating, I’m really only looking to accomplish 1 of 2 things:

1. adding more plants without spending much, if any, money
2. keeping existing houseplants from getting too wild and overgrown

If either of those two things fit your goals for plant propagating, read on!

How to Propagate Plants (the easy way)

(Step 1) Leaf Cutting/Trimming/Root Division

Depending on the type of plant you’re working with, you’ll begin with cutting or dividing your plant.

Propagating Succulents

For succulents, you typically begin with leaf cutting.

The leaf cutting process is simple.

You remove a handful of leaves from the stem, place them on a flat surface (like a cookie sheet covered in soil). And then wait for them to scab over before planting in the soil to grow tiny “pups.”

Propagating Monsteras and Philodendrons

For monsteras and philodendrons, I use a simple trimming technique.

All you do is cut off an offshoot that already has one or two root notches. Root notches are the little bumps where roots are beginning to grow again.

Depending on how many stems your plant has, you can also use root division, where you essentially split the existing plant into smaller bunches of plants.

Pro-tip: Try this technique if you already plan to repot, since it can be a little messy.

Propagating Fiddle Leaf Figs

For fiddle leaf figs, you can trim individual leaves close to the main stem.

There are a few other techniques that are privy to specific plant varieties, but these are a pretty good place to start.

(Step 2) Rooting

After you’ve cut, trimmed, or divided, it’s time to grow some roots. This can take anywhere from a couple weeks, to a few months.

Aside from succulents, which need to heal and scab over before being planted and watered, I usually choose to root offspring in clear jars of water.

I like using water instead of planting them directly into soil because I can easily keep an eye on the root growth without having to disturb the plant.

It also makes for pretty home decor while you wait for them to grow large enough for a pot.

Keep the plants in indirect sunlight. You shouldn’t really need to change out the water much unless it starts to look gross, or if a lot has evaporated.

Otherwise, leave ’em be and let them grow.

(Step 3) Potting

The final phase of propagation is potting, which includes putting them in a pot with soil, watering, and fertilizing if you desire.

This feels like a good opportunity to make use out of some of the DIY planters I shared (24 planters on that list) to celebrate your brand new plant, don’t you think? This cheap plant pots hack is probably one of my faves on the list.

Once I feel like my plant babies are good and strong with substantial root systems, I pot them with fresh soil.

And make sure they have enough room to continue growing but not too much room to where the plant can’t hold itself up.

Then, by next spring, they’re be ready for another round of propagating.

How to Propagate Plants

Brittni

The trees are in full bloom, and inside, houseplants seem like they're waking up from winter hibernation - the perfect time for propagating. Which is just a fancy way of saying that you can get new plants from the plants you already have...for free! Who wouldn't want that?!

Here's the fool-proof guide to propagating plants with ease.

5 from 1 vote

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Instructions

 

Step 1: Leaf Cutting/Trimming/Root Division

• Depending on the type of plant you're working with, you'll begin with cutting or dividing your plant.
• For succulents, you typically begin with leaf cutting, a process where you remove a handful of leaves from the stem, place them on a flat surface (like a cookie sheet covered in soil), wait for them to scab over before planting in the soil to grow tiny "pups."
• For monsteras and philodendrons, I use a trimming technique where I cut off an offshoot that already has one or two root notches (the little bumps where roots are beginning to grow again).
• Depending on how many stems your plant has, you can also use root division, where you essentially split the existing plant into smaller bunches of plants. (Pro-tip: Try this technique if you already plan to repot, since it can be a little messy.)
• For fiddle leaf figs, you can trim individual leaves close to the main stem.
• There are a few other techniques that are privy to specific plant varieties, but these are a pretty good place to start.

Step 2: Rooting

• After you've cut, trimmed, or divided, it's time to grow some roots. This can take anywhere from a couple weeks, to a few months. Aside from succulents, which need to heal and scab over before being planted and watered, I usually choose to root offspring in clear jars of water.
• I like using water instead of planting them directly into soil because I can easily keep an eye on the root growth without having to disturb the plant, and it makes for pretty home decor while you wait for them to grow large enough for a pot.
• Keep the plants in indirect sunlight, and you shouldn't really need to change out the water much unless it starts to look gross, or if a lot has evaporated. Otherwise, leave 'em be and let them grow.

Step 3: Potting

• The final phase of propagation is potting, which includes putting them in a pot with soil, watering, and fertilizing if you desire.
• Once I feel like my plant babies are good and strong with substantial root systems, I pot them with fresh soil, making sure they have enough room to continue growing but not too much room to where the plant can't hold itself up. Then, by next spring, they're be ready for another round of propagating.

Did you make this?Mention @paperandstitch or tag #paperandstitch!

Have you ever tried propagating plants? Do you think you’ll give it a try next time you’re itching for a new houseplant?

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