Double Your House Plants by Plant Propagation

By Gloria Daniels

Using plant propagation strategies will help you simply extend your house plant collection. If you adore house plants, you know that you can always find room for one more. Yes, you'll have lots of spider plants and pothos, but you need to use these methods for propagating the more expensive and hard to find tropical plants like Bird of Paradise and Clivia.

African violets are easy to propagate and are always convenient to have available to swap with other gardeners for plants you may desire but do not have the budget for. If you adore cooking, who could not use a single more basil or parsley plant? Check the listing below for methods of propagating your house plants.

Sorts of Plant Propagation:

Seeds

The first thing that suggests itself is growing plants from seed. Plant the seeds in a wet compost mix of your choosing. Follow the directions on the seed packet to gage sowing depth. A few of these little seeds will need a light covering with planting mix while some of the others are only sowed on the top. Put them in a heated propagator or cover with a clear plastic bag. Install in a windowsill or under lights and your sprouts will appear quickly. Expose the seeds once they have started growing. When the sprouts have a group of 2 leaves, they are going to be ready to be thinned and transplanted.

Cuttings

Propagating house plants from cuttings is simply accomplished. Cut a non-flowering stem 3-6 inches long. Remove leaves from the lower half and dip into rooting powder. Place cutting in soil, firm the soil around it, and water well. Cover with a plastic bag supported by a wire hoop. Place in indirect light and you will have a new plant in a little while.

Stem Layering

If a plant is a trailing plant such as an ivy, stem layering is the way to go. Prepare a pot with soil, or clear a spot in the pot your plant is at present growing in. Choose a long stem that may reach the pinning area. Scrape the bottom of the stem and pin it to the soil with a chunk of wire or twist tie. Once the roots form, you can cut it from the ma plant and you have got a duplicate without much effort.

Division

The swiftest and easiest way to propagate a plant is by division. Remove the plant from the pot. Carefully separate the roots. Eliminate the old woody center and any damaged roots and repot the divided plants.

Air Layering

Plants that have grown prohibited or become leggy and ungainly can be re-shaped and new plants can be spread by air layering the ends of the shoots. In air layering, instead of cutting off the stem, it is notched and left on the stem. This is a touch more tricky and long but really worth the effort if the plant is dear to replace or a well loved plant. For additional info on air layering watch this video.

Once you become familiar with plant propagation, you'll no longer keep away from expensive plants. You will be able to simply duplicate them and have lots to swap to expand your collection.

For more information on growing plants from seed and other plant propagation techniques, check out Container Gardening Guide.com

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Topics: Gardening | Comments Off

Tags: air layering, Gardening, house plants, plant propagation, propagating house plants

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