3 easy ways to propagate your favourite plants

From a cutting:

Step 1: Cut a leaf from the host plant and cut it into 7–10cm segments.

Step 2: Maintain the leaf orientation by marking each segment with an arrow pointing to its lower edge.

Step 3: Insert the lower edge of each segment (arrow pointing down) about 2.5cm into the mix.
Place in bright, indirect light and wait until the mix is nearly dry before watering again thoroughly. You’ll see a new pup emerge from the cuttings in one to three months.

Dividing at the roots:

Step 1: Remove the plant from the pot. Hold the plant at the base of the leaves and gently break into clumps.

Step 2: Try to keep roots attached to each leaf clump.

Step 3: Plant clumps in new pots with fresh mix. Water thoroughly. Tall snake plants may need to be staked for a few months until supportive roots develop.

Step 1: Cut a healthy, mature leaf from a host plant.

Step 2: Dip the stem in rooting hormone to speed up root development.

Step 3: Plant the stem about 2.5cm deep. Cover pot with a plastic bag and secure with a rubber band. Place pot where it gets six hours of bright, indirect light daily. Water every 3–4 days. Remove bag for a few hours when moisture builds up. When shoots appear at the base of the leaf, remove the bag. Care for the new plant as you do the host plant.

Step 1: Cut a mature leaf or a young stem with two or three leaves.

Step 2: Insert into a pot of propagating mix. Place in a warm spot with bright light. Keep mix moist.

Step 3: The leaf or stem cutting will produce a baby ZZ plant with roots, rhizome, stem and leaves that can be repotted.

Step 1: Select a well-developed offshoot, or spiderette, with small starter roots at its base. Cut from the mother plant.

Step 2: Plant the base of the spiderette in a pot of fresh, moist mix. Keep the mix moist, but not wet, until the plant is established. Spiderettes can be put in water to develop longer roots before potting.

Pothos cuttings can be placed in a jar of water with a special open-grid lid that holds them in place but lets you easily pull them out once they’ve formed roots to plant out. Change the water in the jar at least once a week.

Step 1: Cut a section of stem with 3–4 leaves, just below a node. Remove lowest leaf and place stem in a container of water, submerging the bottom half of the stem. Replace water every week.

Step 2: Remove from water after 2.5cm roots emerge.

Step 3: Plant in fresh, moist propagating mix.

Step 1: Remove the plant from the pot and gently pull plantlets apart from the mother plant. Try to keep the pups’ roots intact with the leaves.

Step 2: Plant the pups in pots of fresh potting soil and replant the mother plant. Water thoroughly. Keep the soil evenly moist, but not overwatered, until plants are established.

Step 1: Gently pull a 10cm shoot to side and strip away from main plant, ensuring it has a heel (a strip of bark) attached. Trim with secateurs.

Step 2: Remove leaves at base of cutting.

Step 3: Fill pot with seed raising mix. Using pencil, poke a shallow hole in top of mix and insert cutting.

Step 1: Snip 15cm cuttings from top of plant and strip leaves from bottom.

Step 2: Dip cuttings into the rooting hormone then place dipped end into seed-raising mix. Press each cutting firmly into mix with your fingers.

Step 1: Carefully snap off a leaf from where it’s attached to the main stem.

Step 2: Leave the cut or leaf in a well-lit spot for 2-3 days until a callus forms over the end.

Step 3: Once formed, you can place straight into soil (callus first) or lie flat on soil and watch it grow. 

Step 1: Take a shoot tip cutting, about 8 -12cm long. Avoid taking cuttings from plants that are budding or flowering. Remove the bottom 50 to 75% foliage from the cutting. 

Step 2: Cut the base below the node at an angle to prevent rot. 

Step 3: Apply your rooting hormone, covering approx 1 cm of the stem.

Step 4: Insert the cuttings into the soil. Leave 2-3 cm between cuttings. 

Step 1: Cut stems beneath where the flowers were and cut a 10–20cm ‘stick’ that has 3–5 growth nodes. The cut at the base should be just below a node.

Step 2: Mark base with a down arrow and put this end directly into soil.

Step 1: Choose healthy, non-flowering shoots 10–15cm long, with two sets of leaves below the top set of leaves.

Step 2: Cut just below the node.

Step 3: Remove lower leaves and put the ‘stick’ in propagating mix.

Step 1: Make a 10cm cutting in summer, making sure the bottom cut is just below the node.

Step 2: Remove all but two leaves, and place half of the stick into propagating mix.