What exactly does it mean to propagate? Propagating is the act of breeding a plant by natural processes from the parent plant. So, in theory, propagating is the gift that keeps on giving. We love to propagate our houseplants for many reasons, but gifting (and receiving) plants is our truest love language and propagation is such a fun way to spread love. The idea that you can take something alive and beautiful and replicate it in only a few easy steps makes this process all the more special. Follow our plant basics 101 guide to becoming a pro at propagating. 

All you need to get started:

-Choose a plant to propagate (we suggest a pothos plant to start as their roots easily grow water)

-A pair of scissors or shears 

-Glass container filled with room temp water

Step 1: Evaluate the plant

Take your parent pothos plant and look for a healthy, mature vine with good growth. Then, locate a root node and use your scissors to snip the stem a few inches below it, incorporating one or two nodes with your cutting. The nodes are key in this part of the process as this is where your new roots will grow from. 

Step 2: Prepare the plant

With your fingers, get rid of any leaves that are close to the nodes and place your clean cutting(s) into your glass vessel. Then, find the perfect spot that receives a lot of good indirect lighting. Pro tip: you don’t want too harsh or too poor of lighting for your growing plant - that’s not going to do the trick. 

Step 3: Give it time

We admit it, we’re not always great at this next part but you must chill out and let your plant do its thing. Check in every week or so and look for root growth. In terms of love, you can replace the water completely every couple of days but it’s not necessary - you can just top it off with some fresh aqua when you notice that it’s looking a little low.

Step 4: The transfer

Your pothos plant is ready to be transferred from water to soil when your roots have grown at least an inch in length (this typically takes about a month or so).  From here just pot your new plant into fresh potting soil and continue to keep it where it’s been happy and growing, in good indirect lighting. Moving forward, let the soil dry out between waterings. 

As mentioned, we love to gift propagated plants as housewarming, birthday, or even ‘just cause’ gifts. It costs you nothing to do and is such a thoughtful and fun surprise for your recipient. You can even skip the last step and gift your plant in its glass vessel, allowing your friend to be in charge of transferring it into their favorite planter when it’s ready.  For questions on how to propagate other types of houseplants, don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly at hello@plantsalon.com. 

Happy propagating!