How to Propagate Trailing Plants in Water or Soil?

 

Now that you are familiar with your plants’ needs, the next step to level up your planting skill is to learn how to propagate the plants. Plant propagation is an effective way of reproducing and multiplying your plant collections. Instead of throwing away the cuttings after pruning your plants, why not propagate them and let them grow anew.

This tutorial for easy plant propagation will surely introduce you to a whole new level of planting. When you learned it and managed to see new roots coming out from propagated stems, you will definitely love it. In fact, you will want to do it with all types of plants you have at home.

In propagating plants, several ways have proven to be effective. But this article will focus more on propagation through water and soil. Plants with cascading and stretching vines, like Monsteras, Pothos, and Philodendrons, are ideal for propagation, and they are easy to yield results.

The first step in propagation, on the other hand, is to decide whether you will use water or soil. For beginners, the experts recommend water propagation because this method is easier to do. A video tutorial is available if you want to follow the method step by step. Instructions on plant propagation using soil are also provided in this article.

Here is a list of the tools and supplies to use for plant propagation on water:

• sharp scissors or shears
• rubbing alcohol
• rooting hormone (optional)
• glass vessel (if rooting in water)
• fresh potting soil (if rooting in soil)
• a clean pot with drainage (if rooting in soil)
• a lot of patience

It’s time to know the plant that you plan to propagate. Before you cut the stem or vine of a plant, look for the nodes. The stem or vine will not propagate without the node. This is where the new roots will come out. The small bump that is raised a little from the vine is the node, and without it on the cuttings, no new root will develop.

After locating the node, it’s time to cut it. Make sure you are using a pair of clean or disinfected scissors or shears. Use the rubbing alcohol to remove germs or bacteria from the surface of the scissors. Below the node, cut the vine on one side. See to it that there are at least one or two nodes in the vine cuttings. 

Optional step: The rooting hormone is an optional step for the propagation process. If you want to use one, you will need to dip the tip of the vine in the rooting hormone powder and place the vine in the glass with water. Pure honey is also an alternative if you don’t have the rooting hormone.

How to Propagate in Water:

Propagation using water is easy. You will need a jar, glass vase, or container that is filled with water. For 2 to 6 weeks, let the vine propagate in water under bright, indirect sunlight. It may take some time before the roots come out. Once you see the roots, at least in 1 to 3 inches long, it is time to plant the vine in a pot of soil. Make sure that you water the plant regularly.

How to Propagate in Soil:

 

Propagation using soil is also easy. You will need a pot of soil, at least 75% full and the pot has excellent drainage holes. Indent the soil using your fingers in 2 or 3 inches deep. Insert the cuttings on indented soil and fill the gap with more soil after. Make sure that the cuttings are firmly secured on the soil. Water the soil thoroughly, but let the soil drain well. It is not beneficial for the cuttings to stay on a water-soaked soil for a long while because, instead of rooting, they will only rot.

Tips from the pro:

During the first stage of propagation, while cuttings are still fresh, an increase in humidity will benefit the process. You can help improve the humidity by placing a bag of frozen water over the pot.

A set of fresh new roots are coming out after a few weeks after the cuttings are placed in water or soil. Let us know how it went. You can send us pictures of the propagated plants.