Plant Propagation
Plant Propagation brings new life to plants. It is the process of taking the seeds, cuttings, and other parts from plants and creating new plants! There are various ways to successfully propagate. You can propagate by rooting a leaf, stem cutting, and water propagation. Regardless of the method you use it is fascinating to multiply your plants, and they can become great gifts at no additional cost to you!
Choose a healthy plant that doesn’t have any small pest and no harm has been done to the plant. For the best results pick a leaf that is completely grown. Key factors to consider to create a successful plant propagation is moisture, light, humidity, and temperature. Leaf cutting is best suited for houseplants and herbaceous trees and shrubs.
Leaf cutting and plant cutting is one way to propagate creating new, independent house plants. Plants that do well with this type of propagation are Snake Plants, ZZ plants, Philodendrons, and Pothos plants they will all give you top growth and significant root growth. First, use a sharp knife to cut the leaf into small parts/ sections and place in potting soil. Make sure to cut off a piece of your plant at the base of the leaf. This should be 4 to 6 inches long. Remember to pick a plant that is large enough to handle cutting and will not be harmed.
Step 2: Preparation
Now it’s time for preparation. Remove the leaves too close to the bottom of the stem. At this point you can dip the cutting into a rooting hormone, although it is not completely necessary.
Step 3: Soaking
The next step to success is soaking. Place your cutting in a container of water with the leaves above water. You may place several cuttings into one pot but make sure they are spacious.
Step 4: Rooting
Patience is key because it’s time for rooting. Allow your plants to grow for about a month. At this point you should see roots emerging. After one month when you go to remove the plants you should feel resistance. This indicates that several roots have formed and your cutting is complete.
Step 5: Potting
The last step to a great propagation is potting. Fill a clean container with some nutrient rich and well-draining potting mix. Place the cutting in the soil and to a pot and gently cover the roots with additional soil. Place in bright, indirect light and keep the soil moist.
Plants that Propagate from Offset:
Offsets are short, clustered leaves at the tip. Offsets are able to take root as a plant when removed from the parent plant. Some examples of Offset plants include: aloe vera, Bromeliads, cacti, succulents, Chinese Money plants, Spider plants, and Amaryllis. These are great plants you can get at Patuxent to propagate.
You did it! Keep your successful plant propagation in a growing environment to encourage the continuous production of a new independent plant.
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