Spring Houseplant Propagation
by Pamela Kock

Early spring is an excellent time to expand your houseplant collection, or get a jump-start on gifts for the holiday season list by propagating the plants you already own. There are several methods of doing this; the best technique will depend on the variety of plant you wish to cultivate.

Runners and Offsets

Plants that produce runners and offsets are among the easiest to propagate. The best-known plants that reproduce by runners are spider plants. Simply place the “baby” in a small pot of soil, secured by a a hairpin or bent paper clip. When it develops roots, cut the runner. Others, such as aloe or bromeliads grow baby plants called offsets next to the base of the plant. When the offset develops its own roots, separate it from the parent and re-pot.

Division

Any plant that has more than one stem growing from the soil can be propagated by division. In the spring when the plant begins to show new growth, remove it from its pot and shake as much soil as possible from the roots. Either by pulling or cutting the roots with a knife, separate the root ball into sections. Re-pot each section, place the plants in a moderately bright area and water sparingly until they produce new foliage.

Cuttings

Plants such as philodendron, pothos, and many others are easy to grow from stem cuttings. Cut off a portion of the stem, about three to six inches long with at least two leaves attached. Place it in a pot of soil with the leaves sticking out and keep moist. Don’t root them in water if you plan to pot them in soil; the roots that develop in water will be different than the type of root it needs to thrive in soil. African violets and others that grow leaves on long stalks are propagated by leaf cuttings. Cut off the leaf including one or two inches of stem, poke a hole in the soil, and insert it at an angle so the developing shoots aren’t shaded by the larger leaf. If there’s no stem, you can pot the leaf directly into the soil.

Air Layering

Air layering is a slow method of propagation, usually done with plants with woody stems such as dracaenas that have grown too tall with only a few leaves at the top. Make a small cut in the stem where you want the plant’s new roots to develop. Slip a toothpick into the cut to keep it from closing, dust it with rooting powder, and wrap the area in moist sphagnum moss. Cover this with a piece of plastic, tie it, and wait a few months. When the roots show through, cut off the stem just below the new roots and re-pot the plant.