Lesson 1. Cuttings: a new plant from a small piece

Many houseplants are easy to propagate yourself — a free new plant from a piece of an old one. This is vegetative propagation: the new plant is a genetic copy (a clone) of the parent, with all its varietal traits. The most common method is a stem cutting: you cut off a piece of a shoot with a few leaves and nodes (a node is where a leaf attaches to the stem; roots usually grow from the node). The cutting goes into water or straight into moist potting mix, and within 1–4 weeks it puts out roots. The easiest plants to propagate from cuttings: pothos (Epipremnum), philodendron, tradescantia, hoya, English ivy. Their roots literally appear from the nodes on the stem. Some plants (many succulents, snake plant, African violet) are propagated from a leaf cutting — a whole leaf or part of one: the leaf puts out roots and then a small new plant at its base.

A cutting doesn't need much to root: 1. The right cut. Cut with a clean, sharp knife or scissors just below a node — that's where the roots will come from. Leave 2–4 leaves on the cutting; strip the lower ones that would end up in water or soil so they don't rot. 2. The medium. Two ways: — In water: stand the cutting in a glass so the node is underwater and the leaves are above. Change the water every few days. It's easy to watch the roots. — In potting mix: push the cutting into a moist, loose rooting medium. The roots grow as “soil roots” from the start and handle repotting better. 3. Warmth and light. A bright spot out of direct sun and room warmth speed up rooting. You can cover it with a clear plastic bag or jar for humidity (a mini greenhouse), but air it out. 4. Patience. Don't tug at the cutting to “check the roots.” Pothos puts out roots in 1–2 weeks; others take longer. Succulents are the opposite: let the cut end dry (callus over) for a day or two before planting in potting mix — otherwise the wet cut rots. And plant them in dry mix, watering a little later.