Houseplant Propagation by Cuttings

Plant propagation at home is fun and easy and it is a good way to increase a number of plants inexpensively. Plants produced from cuttings (an asexual method of reproduction) will usually be identical to the parent plant. Plants can be propagated from pieces of stem, leaves, or roots. It is important to provide the correct environment for rooting cuttings and to keep them healthy during the process. Select propagating material that is healthy, free of disease and insect problems, and has a good green color. Good techniques and proper environment cannot make up for use of poorly selected cutting material.

Adequate light must be provided as well, although cuttings and newly rooted plants must be protected from direct sunlight. Intense light levels cause excess water loss and cuttings may wilt rapidly. Remember, there are no roots on the cutting initially that can take up water.

High relative humidity of 90 to 100 percent is necessary when propagating plants. This decreases evaporative loss of water from the leaves so the cutting will not dry out. Humidity can be maintained around the cuttings by covering the container and cuttings with a plastic bag or 'tent.' Once cuttings are rooted, this covering can be removed. 

Almost any container can be used for propagating plants if it provides drainage. Make sure containers are clean. A mixture of equal parts of perlite and sphagnum peat moss is a good rooting medium that provides moisture retention, good air and water drainage, and permits roots to penetrate easily. Keep the medium moist but not soggy during rooting.

Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone to help obtain uniformity in rooting and development of a heavier root system. Avoid using too much on each cutting as this may inhibit rooting. However, hormones are not a substitute for using good propagation techniques and healthy plant material. 

Stem Cutting

Stem cutting is probably the most common method of propagating plants in the home. Each cutting should be 1 to 3 inches long and have two or three leaves attached. Cut 1/4 inch below a leaf node and pull off the leaf at the node. Insert the cutting into the medium so this node is covered with soil. A side benefit of stem cutting is that pruning an old plant to acquire cuttings helps recondition the plant and causes new branches to form. Some common plants that can be propagated using this method include citrus, coleus, croton plants, fittonias, some peperomias, prayer plant, velvet plant, and zebra plant.

Cane Cutting

Plants that develop cane-like stems, such as Chinese evergreen, Dieffenbachia, and Dracaena, can be propagated by cane cuttings (actually a type of stem cutting where the stem has lost many older leaves). The should be cut into 1 inch sections, each including at least two 'circular rings' (leaf scars). There are dormant buds between these rings that will grow into new plants. The section can either be laid horizontally on the soil or set vertically so that half of it is covered with soil. It may take some time for these pieces to root and sprout.

Leaf Cuttings

The leaf blade, or the leaf blade and its stem, is used to propagate plants such as Rex begonia, African violet, Sansevieria, jade plant, and some peperomias. Roots and shoots form at the base of the leaf but the original leaf does not become a part of the new plant so it is usually discarded when the new plant is transplanted. It usually takes longer for this kind of cutting to root than stem cuttings. 

Leaf-Bud Cutting

This cutting consists of the leaf blade, the leaf stem, and a short section of stem with the attached bud. The method can be used to produce many plants from a single parent plant – at least twice as many as produced from stem cuttings, though it may take more time for new growth to develop. These cuttings are best made from material having well-developed buds and healthy, actively growing leaves. Pothos, Philodendron, jade plant, ivies, and most of the plants propagated from stem cuttings can be propagated this way.

Adapted from Jane Warner, Ohio State University Extension, 2001