How to Propagate Plants

Gardening can be expensive sometimes and it restricts new plant parents to experiment.
Learn ‘HOW TO PROPAGATE PLANTS‘ one may collect plants for free and commence their gardening journey. See how you can collect different plants for free from our plant enthusiast Ms. Riddhi Jais. She has an active Instagram page called ThePlantForum where she uploads plant care and styling tips.

Watch this video over youtube.
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Riddhi Jais’s brainstorming workshop for Young-gardeners

Hello, everybody, thank you so much Ishika. I am Riddhi Jais. I would like to thank The Affordable Organic Store for inviting me over for this wonderful workshop. Now, let me tell you something about myself. I am a plant enthusiast and I did gardening as most of us did during the lockdown. I have been into gardening for the past two years. I have my Instagram page called The Plant Forum where I put all the updates about my plants. So, you can check me out there too. The initiative of sustainable living by The Affordable Organic Store is quite good. You can shop a lot of organic things from their site. Today, we are going to learn about plant propagation and the ways to grow plants. People ask me as to what is the need to propagate plants. Well, we as teenagers, feel very heart ranching if the plants purchased from any nursery die off!  Some plants die and you have to accept it. So, we buy a single plant and make many baby plants from that plant. So, it’s a very simple and easy way to make a lot of plants from a single plant, So, today, we’ll learn how to propagate plants and make baby plants from them. My balcony is a west-facing balcony, so I have a maximum of my plants right here. On this balcony, I get two to three hours of direct sunlight here. I cannot grow plants that need 8 to 9 hours of sunlight but I have plants that need indirect sunlight and bright light. So, I have plants like snake plants, money plants, Syngonium plants, and a lot of other plants that are indoor plants.

So, I would like to start the session with why is there a need to propagate plants? 

• Let’s start with pothos or the money plant. It’s the most beautiful and easy to propagate plant in our houses. Monsoon is a great time to propagate because plants flourish in humid environments and monsoon is the most right time for the plants! They can sustain themselves in water in the monsoon. When we cut plants in heated weather, we put a lot of stress on plants, so the plants don’t sustain in summers. 

There are ways of propagation, the one is soil propagation and the other is water propagation.

In pothos, we mostly try water propagation. So, in water propagation, we have to take a random stem of the pothos and find the node of the stem. So these nodes are the starting points of the leaves and if we submerge these nodes into the water, we are going to get a lot of roots from the nodes. 

So, find the node, and cut one centimeter each from above and below the node. Put this stem into water. Do this process for the entire stem. Collect all these nodes and put them in a water bowl or any jar with water and our one propagation is ready. After a few days, the nodes start rooting. Once the rooting is visible, you can plant the pothos node into the soil. We can even grow pothos only in water too if you don’t want to plant them into the soil. When they grow in water, they do not get all the minerals. The leaves start yellowing up. But, that’s fine, because you can just trim it off and nothing will happen to the pothos.

• The next one is the snake plant. Growing snake plants is very easy but finding a good plant in the market is a challenge! Ensure that they do not possess any diseases. Sometimes, the plants can be infected. They usually cost around 200 to 300 rupees. 

You have to take the stem and cut it from the very bottom and place it in water and you are good to go. You can also cut the stem into two parts and place them in water. In this way, you have two snake plants. It is very simple to propagate them. They are very trendy and rich in oxygen and they need almost zero care. 

• The third plant is Syngonium. They have white patches or strips on them.

You have to find their nodes because the nodes are the sites for a new generation of stems. In this plant, the nodes are at the very bottom where most of the bunch of leaves start to grow.

Put it in water and it will grow roots. Syngonium is really fast when it comes to propagating plants.

• The next one is Devil’s backbone. It grows into big bushes and looks very pretty. The simplest way to propagate them is to make a cut anywhere and remove the bottom leaves and submerge it into water. 
• Another plant is the Zee-zee plant. Make a cut from a node and put it into water. It takes two to three months for the development of roots. 
•  Rhaphidophora is another great option. Cut it from the nodes and put it in water/soil. 

• It’s very easy. Just take a node and poke it into the soil.
• Purple-heart plant is a great option and I have the propagation of two cuttings in the soil. In a couple of months, it will be a good plant. 
• Not all plants sustain properly in soil because it takes a lot of time for the plants to adapt as it is under a lot of stress in soil.
• Jade plants are another good option because they have very sturdy leaves and stems. Even purple hearts have very sturdy leaves.

• Try to use the transparent container as it enables you to see the roots without removing them from water. 
• Second thing is that roots get light in a transparent container. So, always try a transparent glass container.
• Ensure to place the plant in bright lights, not under direct sunlight, so that they grow efficiently. 
• Try to be organic, use honey and cinnamon powder for propagation. I always prefer organic materials over rooting hormones.
• When you change the water, try to rinse the roots also. Sometimes, the roots rot due to the stagnant water. Put it under a sink and wash it.  

• “Do we need a rooting hormone for propagation?”, asked Ishika

It is not necessary to always have a rooting hormone. If you want, you may use a rooting hormone. I suggest using honey and cinnamon powder. You can take a cutting, dip it into honey and then place it into water. 

• “Shivangi Khanna asks, what plants can be grown majorly in summers and monsoons?”

Delhi heat is pretty scorching, so mostly keep indoor plants. The way we need food and oxygen, plants also need oxygen and light. So, even if the plants are indoor plants, never keep them away from sunlight. They will survive but not grow in a nourishing manner. So, keep them in sunlight for a couple of days. Snake plants survive in almost any situation. Just keep them in shade. Pothos can be chosen. You can opt for lucky bamboo in the soil. Spider plants grow really well. Devil’s backbone can be chosen as it provides a lot of variegation and color to the background. 

• “Can you show us how to propagate plant cylindrical snake?, asked Pranay”

I haven’t tried to propagate plants of cylindrical snakes because they are very rare in my area.

• “How much time does it take for snake plants to grow by propagation method?”, asked Akshay    

A lot of patience is required for snake plants. It might take four to five months for their optimal growth. I have made four snake plants from a single cutting and it took me six to seven months for their growth. 

• “How much time is required for the roots to come out from the snake plants kept in water?, asked Ishika”

It might take four weeks.

• “How often do we have to change the water in which the snake plants are kept for propagation?, asked Ishika”

Change the water regularly because stagnant water will invite mosquito eggs and harm your plants. Change the water at an interval of five to six days. If it’s monsoon, change the water after every three to four days.

• “How to propagate plant of peace lily?”

The peace lily is hard to propagate. It requires the root division method. In this method, you have to divide the roots into two parts and transfer them into different containers. It is risky and the plant’s life possesses danger by this method. 

• “How to propagate plant aloe vera and jade plant?”

It is very simple to propagate plant aloe Vera. Just take out a small baby plant from the mother plant (Aloe Vera) and put it directly into the soil. Do not put it into water. The same goes for the jade plant. Cut a stem and remove the bottom small leaves and immerse them in water or soil.

• “Do we need to check that the water in drinking water is dechlorinated?”

We can use normal tap water for the propagation. We can even use filter water but filtering will also remove the minerals that are required to propagate plants. So, I suggest going for tap water.

• “How to propagate plant of black- pepper bought from the market?”

“Try the paper-towel method, answered Ishika”

• “How to propagate plant Plumeria?”

It is a type of house plant because the roots will root in such a condition. Addition of compost like cow dung, manure, or vermicompost every 15 to 20 days. Do not over-use these manures because plants can die due to overnutrition

• “What are some beginner-friendly house-plants?” 

Zee-zees are the best plants for beginners. They have root bulbs at the bottom that store water. So, you don’t have to care much for these plants.  Monstera, pothos, snake plants are other good options. There are a lot of varieties in Philodendrons as well. 

• “What is the best soil mix for the propagation of plants?”

Well-drained soil is the best for such plants. It is 70% gardening soil, 10% compost, 10% river sand, 10% coco peat (optional) or natural home-made compost.

• “Is there any possibility of getting pigmentation or any sort of disease after the propagation of plant?, asked Shivangi”

If you find any disease, that is because you didn’t quarantine the plant or give sufficient time to the plant to adapt to a new environment. Also, ensure that the plant doesn’t have any pigmentation or bugs at the time of buying. If such a condition arises, cut that portion and the plant will sustain. 

• “Plumbago doesn’t propagate after so many attempts. Why is that so?”

Sometimes, a lot of plants don’t propagate, for example, sand palms. These plants need a root- system. So, propagation of this plant requires a proper root system or getting a developed plant and separating it from the root ball.

• “It is a flowering plant so ensure to provide proper sunlight for the plant to bloom, added Ishika”

Flowers need eight hours of direct sunlight, so provide enough sunlight. 

• “How to propagate succulents?”

Some succulents grow pubs. So, take these pubs out from the mother plant and plant them into the soil.

Pinch the leaves and place them at the top of the soil for the succulents that have leaves. Ensure to sprinkle some water and do not pierce these leaves deep in the soil. This method takes a lot of time because the succulents growing out from leaves take a lot of time.

• “After propagation, do we have to cover the plant with some plastic material?”

A lot of time, we can do it to maintain humidity in the soil. But, in monsoon, it isn’t required.

• “How to propagate foliose in water?”

Try soil propagation for foliose because it has a hard stem that goes well with the soil propagation. Soil propagations are more successful than water propagation. 

• “Can you give the list of plants that can be propagated easily?”

Pothos, Snake plants, Syngonium, Rhaphidophora, Devil’s backbone, purple hearts, Philodendrons, monstera, spider plants grow well in water. When I was a young gardener, I used to propagate a lot of money plants, provided you follow all the care protocols necessary for the plant. 

• “Can we grow lavender from their seeds in monsoon season?” asked shivangi

You can avail germination kits from TheAffordableOrganiCStore and germinate the seeds. 

• “Can we propagate plant of basil in water or soil?” 

Basil propagation is possible in both cases. Just take the cuttings and place one in water and the other in soil and it will work fine.

• “Why do most of the succulents die when bought from nursery to our home?”

The best care for succulents is to not care for them at all. Because we over-pamper these succulents which is not good. Give them water in an appropriate amount. They do not need any special manure. Do not keep them in direct sunlight. Keep them in a place where they will get indirect sunlight. Also, avoid complete darkness.

• “Is there any drip-irrigation method for growing plants?”

You can opt for vertical gardening or opt for the plants that do not require much watering like snake plants, monsteras and water them just once a week thoroughly. If you are going for any vacation, then make use of humidity trays. Take a shallow plate and put pebbles and then plant the plant. 

• “How can we propagate plants of roses from cutting?”

When you cut a stem of rose, take a sturdy stem and remove all the leaves, and put it into the soil. Put it in indirect sunlight. Put it in soil and check for the roots. Once the roots are visible, transfer them into a proper pot.

• “How often should we prune indoor plants?”

 personally prune plants at the end of summers so that it enables for new growth. 

Soft pruning can be done with a lot of plants. We can prune the plants according to our requirements. If you want top growth, you can cut it from the sides. If you want a lush growth, then prune it from the top.

• “How can we propagate spider plants?” 

Spider plants have pugs hanging at the bottom. So, you can place them in water as well as water also.

• “Any tips for monstera plant?”

Monsteras love humidity. Keep it in well-draining soil. Keep the watering moderate.

• “Can you suggest the propagate plant of Tulsi?”

Tulsi can be grown with the help of tulsi seeds and it is quite cheap.

• “Lastly, can you share some tips for the young gardeners?”

When we get a plant inside our house, we just go to the nursery and bring the prettiest plant, but we don’t take adequate care of the plant. To ensure the lighting of your house and then buy the plant. Ensure that the plants do not have any pests. See the underside of the leaves for any bugs. Check the roots of the plants because sometimes, the nurseries just take the cuttings, put them into the soil, and sell them. Another thing is to quarantine the plant after buying them from the nursery. 

• Re-pot the newly bought plant after two to three weeks and the plant will flourish. Never opt for harsh, chemical fertilizers. Always prefer organic or homemade fertilizers. Pasta-water can be used as it contains a lot of starch by diluting it with more water. 

Thank you so much Riddhi for this lovely session on “How to propagate plants”!

I hope that the session helps and thank you, everyone, for being in this workshop.

“Thank you Riddhi for solving so many of our viewer’s questions. Thank you all of you for joining the workshop.”

HAPPY GARDENING!