Propagating plants is an easy and cost effective way to fill your garden. The concept is simple- start with a momma plant and end up with extra baby plants. Required ingredients: plant, dirt, two weeks...that is it! Here are the simple steps I recommend following:
TO PREPARE
Do a quick google search and see if your plant can propagate from cuttings.
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| Find a small container that can drain. I recycle old plant containers my annuals come in (left in black), plastic plant starters (middle picture), or use my favorite- Keurig Cups (on right in white, just poke holes in bottom)! Fill with potting soil. |
READY, SET, GO!
1. Choose a healthy, bug free plant. Find a branch and snip right below a leaf node. You want the cutting to be at least four inches.
2. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting. This step is important because the new roots grow out of the stem where the leaves used to be.
3. Leave three or four leaves on the top of your cutting. Tear off any extra leaves, flowers, or buds. You want the plant focusing all energy on producing roots, not flowering.
4. (This step is optional but will speed along the rooting process) You can use rooting hormone to help the plant get a jump start on producing roots. Place the stem in water and then stick into the powder. Shake off any access rooting hormone.
5. Moisten your dirt in the starter container. Poke a hole in the middle of the dirt then place your stem in.
6. Provide sunlight and water. Wait two weeks and your plant will have a root system. You can now plant this cutting into a new container.
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| You can see new roots from my 'Wandering Jew' cutting. |
I took cuttings from my favorite plant container (see blog post on how to create your own container) and created a miniature arrangement of it in a new flower pot! In a month this will be another full, beautiful arrangement for my back patio.
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