Here’s How To Have More Houseplants Without Buying Them
Try these no-cost plantings!
So you’ve always wanted to start your own pocket garden at home—or add to your plant baby collection—but you haven’t got the budget (or time) to work on it. There’s actually a pretty sneaky way to do it: all you have to do is propagate more plants from the existing greens that you have.
If “plant propagation” throws you back to Biology class in college, you’ll be surprised to find out that it’s easier than you think, and you can do these experiments on the plants that you may already have, or ask for these from a friend or neighbor. Here are the three basic ways to propagate, based on plant type.
CUTTINGS
This type of propagation is best for the tamad planter: just snip off a stem with a leaf below a node, and you’re good. Stick the cutting into a jar or water, and when roots form, transfer to a pot. If you’re starting out with this method, try these plants:
Philodendron
Pothos
Prayer plant
ROOT DIVISION
Sounds like a scientific experiment, but it’s relatively easy when done with multi-stemmed plants. De-pot your plant and pluck out one stem along the roots. Re-pot the mini-plant and shield from bright light. An ideal multi-stem plant for this type of propagation is the Snake Plant or Sanseveria.
PLANTLETS OR “PUPS”
These are not little dogs; these are tiny plants (with roots) sprouting from the stems of the mother plant. Cut these off with clean pruning scissors, and plant directly into potted soil. Breed your own pups with these plants:
Spider Plant
Assorted succulents: aloe, echeveria, mother of millions
SOURCES: apartmenttherapy, ourhouseplants.com
