Propagation Basics

Plant propagation may be done for various reasons including to share plants, combat disease or damage, to increase volume in a pot/ container, and more. Using clean techniques, having a plan and tools in place, and doing research can increase rates of success. We always recommend that those new to propagation do research about the plant which they would like to propagate, and use multiple sources. Educational facilities, plant nurseries, and plant enthusiasts/ collectors who demonstrate as well as share results may be some of the most reliable resources. 

Some of the basic tools of propagation include:

• Sterilized Snips, Scissors, etc. Using clean tools for each propagation project: will decrease the spread of disease/ pets/ fungal issues. 
• Preventative Products. Depending on the variety of plant or the issues being managed, it may be beneficial to treat cuttings with insecticide, fungicide, miticide, or similar products. Make sure to research the products and their use in advance.
• Propagation Medium. Certain varieties of plants may root more vigorously or quickly in certain medium. Doing research in advance can help determine which medium or mix may be the most beneficial. Common ones include perlite, sphagnum, water, potting medium, coco coir or chunks, etc. 
• Water. & Additives. Certain varieties of plants may be sensitive to the additives and mineral content within tap water. Examples of more sensitive varieties include calathea, carnivorous, and air plants. Allowing tap water to sit overnight, using water conditioners, and using low total dissolved solids/ additive water sources (distilled, rain, dehumidifier, or Zero water) may be beneficial or necessary for success. The use of additives such as water soluable fertilizer, propagation drops, rooting hormones, etc may increase rooting speed and/ or rates of success. Make sure to research the products and their use in advance.
• Propagation Medium. When considering a propagation medium, it may be helpful to consider the long term growing plan for the plant being propagated. While water may be a common medium to utilize, the roots developed in water propagation are not accustomized to the same air exchange rates as soil roots. Also certain medium such as perlite, fluval, and sphagnum may be recommended however long term your intent is to utilize a soil mix or other medium. It may be worth considering propagating directly into your long term medium of choice for cost or ease of transfer purposes. 
• Propagation Containers or Pots. Certain varieties of plants respond well to increased humidity during propagation, in which case a propagation dome or container may be recommended. In utilizing domes or propagation containers it is important to consider the method of ventilation. The air within a dome or propagation container may become overly humid which can lead to mold, fungal, and dissolution of the plants. To combat these issues, consider adding ventilation to the container by adding vent holes, a small computer fan, leaving the lid cracked, or having a regular step in care to open and ventilate the container. can improve ventilation. Simply placing propagation containers in an area which are in your regular line of sight can assist in being a visual reminder to check your propagations. When propagating directly into pots, the type of medium may be more adaptive to a pot with no-holes or holes. Mediums such as perlite, sphagnum, and/ or fluval, which may be helpful for propagations which require consistent moisture. Mediums such as soil, soilless mix, chunky mixes, cacti/ succulent mix, coco chunk, etc may be best for propagations which are prone to root root and/ or require a dry down of the medium. 
• Temperature:. Many tropical houseplants will propagate the best when temperatures are consistent. Each plant variety may vary but commonly temperatures in the range of 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal. Many plants do well with a decrease in temperatures overnight, however require steady temperatures during the day. If propagating using natural sunlight, use caution when propagating close to a window especially in domes or propagation containers. Temperatures directly in a window or with high light exposure may damage propagations or bleach/ sunstress the leaves. 
  
• Lighting. Many plants perform the best during propagation when daily light cycles are consistent. Each variety of plant varies, but when using natural sunlight it can be beneficial to research the best time of year for propagation of the desired species. Utilization of LED, plant lights, or grow lights can allow for consistent control of the amount of light received. Caution should be used to ensure light is not too intense for the plant being propagated and that temperatures are not too high due to closeness to the light source. 
  

Epipremnum/ Pothos

Epipremnum/ pothos can be a good variety of plant to propagate. These may be propagated by stem cuttings or individual nodes. Epipremnum/ pothos are adaptable to a variety of medium including water, perlite, sphagnum/ sphagnum mixes, soil/ soilless medium, and more. Propagation domes or boxes may be utilized, however we recommend ensuring regular ventilation to prevent fungal/ bacterial/ mold issues. 

We recommend taking cuttings from a healthy plant, but if propagating in a rehab situation we recommend pre-treating cuttings and regularly checking the propagations for signs of issues. Epipremnum/ pothos will only root at a node (the growth area where leaves/ roots sprout from). It is recommended to ensure the cut area is exposed to air/ callused over/ sealed to decrease the risks of rot. If rot does occur, if there are enough nodes on the specimen: simply cut off the soft/ rotted area and attempt rooting at the next exposed node. 

Spider Plants: Chlorophytum Comosum

Spider plants are commonly propagated by rooting the pups, which develop from runners/ stolon that mature plants create. Once pups are ideally over 2" in diameter, the pup may be cut from the runner/ stolon. Many times the pup will already have aerial roots which are visible, if not the base of the plant below the runner/ stolon connection is where the roots will develop. We recommend water propagation followed by transfer to a fine well draining potting mix. Spider plant pups in propagation should be placed so their roots are touching a water source, ie: mounted in a clear container or sitting in an open propagation container on lightly moist sphagnum or paper towel. 

Once the pup has developed at least five roots which are over 0.5" in length, it may be moved to a fine well draining potting mix. We recommend keeping the soil lightly moist initially, then slowly decreasing watering consistency until the pup is fully acclimated to soil.

Begonia (Cane Style)

Content coming soon.

Begonia (Rex)

Pellonia

Content coming soon.

Philodendron

Content coming soon.

Tradescantia

Content coming soon.

ZZ: Zamioculcas Zamiifolia

Content coming soon.