You may want to propagate a plant because you want more plants, such as an African violet you wish to share with a friend. You may be concerned if the plant has a long stem and want to reroot it at a more suitable place (such as a dieffenbachia), or you may want to grow a plant from seed you saved or found or take cuttings from a plant.

 

Leaf Cuttings:

This method is used most often with African violets. Choose a leaf that is not the newest or the oldest, cutting it cleanly with 1 inch of stem. It can be rooted in water, but the roots are very fragile and more difficult to plant. A better choice is vermiculite, in a small pot (or styrofoam drinking cup), kept slightly moist. If you put clear plastic wrap over the cup of vermiculite and poke a hole in it with a pencil, you can insert the stem through the hole and it will support the leaf and also keep the vermiculite from drying out. A rooting hormone such as Stimroot will encourage root development. Simply dip the cut stem in the powder before it is inserted in the rooting material. When bushy little roots have developed, the plant is potted into a small pot in potting soil. Several little plants will be clumped together. They can be pulled apart and planted separately when still small.

 

Stem Cuttings:

Tropical plants such as ivy, creeping charley, wandering Jew, and geranium are easily propagated by cutting a piece off the end of a stem, with about five leaves on it. Cut just below a leaf, and cut that leaf off. It is rooted the same way as an African violet leaf. If the plant is one that needs high humidity, enclosing the cutting & pot in a plastic bag with an air hole punched in it will keep the humidity higher around the leaves until they root. Geranium cuttings should be left for the cut surface to dry before being inserted into the rooting material. Cacti and succulents should also be left to dry, and are best rooted in moist sand.

 

Air Layering:

Plants such as a dieffenbachia or rubber plant often lose lower leaves so that a tuft of leaves is at the top of a long stalk. By air layering you can form a root system just below the leaves to create a shorter, bushy plant. First, stake the plant, tying above and below where you want the roots to be. Choose a spot where you want the roots to be, just below where a leaf was. Cut a narrow wedge half way into the stalk, taking care not to cut all the way through! Rooting hormone inserted into the cut area with the knife blade will encourage rooting. Wrap moist sphagnum moss around the cut area, then cover with clear plastic, tying above and below the moss.Roots will take about 4 - 6 weeks — check periodically to be sure moss is damp. When a good root system has developed, cut stalk below roots and plant in a small pot. The stalk can be cut off a few inches above the soil and new leaves will form at that point. Pieces of stalk can also be rooted, by placing them horizontally in damp soil.

 

Starting Plants from Seed:

Many tropical plants will develop seeds if dead flowers are allowed to remain on the plant. African violets, weeping fig, palms and cactus are some examples. Leave the seed pod on the plant until it is starting to dry, then remove it and place in a warm, dry place until dry. Scatter seeds on moist soil in a shallow container and cover with clear plastic. Once seedlings emerge, keep in bright sun or under florescent lights, checking frequently to be sure soil doesn't dry. Repot when several leaves have grown, into separate small pots.