Houseplants for Beginners

Propagation is a way to multiply your houseplants by creating a new plant from an existing plant. It's also a good way to share plants with others. You can propagate almost any plant using different methods, including rooting a stem cutting, rooting a leaf, and dividing. To propagate a plant, you will need scissors or pruners and a vessel with water or a small pot with soil.

You can root a cutting in water or soil. Rooting a cutting in water is especially cool because you can see the roots growing.

Start by cutting ½ inch to 1 inch below where the leaf meets the stem. This is called the node and looks like a little bump on the slide of the stem. You'll also want to remove lower leaves so they aren’t in the water or soil.

If using the water method, put the cutting in fresh water in any container. This can be a propagation tube, small vase, or simply a drinking glass.

Propagation station

Change out the water weekly or whenever it looks dirty. Once the roots are a couple of inches long, your cutting is ready to be removed from the water and planted in soil. This could vary from a couple of weeks to over a month. However, you don't want to leave the cutting in water for too long because it will make the shift to soil more difficult.

If using the soil method, insert at least ⅔ of the plant into the soil. Keep the soil moist and provide bright indirect light.

Plants that typically propagate well from a stem cutting are pothos, aglaonema, dieffenbachia, philodendron, and dracaena.

This is exactly what it sounds like - dividing a plant into two or more. The best time to divide a plant is in the spring because it'll be ready to grow.

Start by removing the plant from the pot and examining the root ball. Determine where you’d like to divide. These are generally areas with healthy roots. With a knife, cut the plant into sections. Try to keep the roots intact as best you can. Some plants can also be gently pulled apart instead of using a knife.

Put your new divisions in pots. Water and place in bright indirect light.

Plants that divide easily are snake plants, ZZ plants, peace lilies, and spider plants.