Propagation for Beginners
How Roots Develop on Cuttings: From Callus to Root System
What is happening at the cut end while you wait: the wound seals, callus may form, root initials appear and the first white roots branch into a root system.
Learn to Propagate Houseplants Step by Step
Propagation methods differ from plant to plant. These guides explain each method in plain steps and say which plants it suits.
Start Here
New to propagation? Read these four guides in order.
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Houseplant Propagation for Beginners: Where to Start
What propagation is, the main methods in plain words, and how to tell which one fits your plant. Includes two gentle first projects and honest expectations about speed and failures.
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What Is a Node? How to Find Nodes on Houseplant Stems
A node is the point on a stem where a leaf attaches, and many cuttings cannot grow without one. Learn how to spot nodes, tell a leaf stalk from a stem, and where to place the cut.
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How to Take Stem Cuttings From Houseplants
The exact steps for a first stem cutting: which houseplants suit the method, where to cut in relation to the node, which leaves to remove and where to root the piece afterward.
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How to Propagate Plants in Water: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to rooting a cutting in a jar of water: where the node goes, how to keep the water fresh, what root growth looks like at each stage and how to tell when it is time for soil.
Propagation Basics
View all in Propagation BasicsWhat a node is, which tools are worth having and how to choose a method for the plant in front of you.
Propagation for Beginners
How to Make Clean Cuts and Sanitize Propagation Tools
How to cut a stem without crushing it and how to clean your blades between plants, so a cutting starts with a smooth wound and a clean tool.
Propagation for Beginners
Propagation Tools and Supplies: What You Actually Need
An honest kit list for propagating houseplants, sorted into essential, useful and optional, with the reasons small containers work better and the items you can skip.
Stem Cuttings
View all in Stem CuttingsWhere to cut, how many nodes to keep and how to look after a cutting while it roots.
Stem Cuttings
Air Layering Houseplants: Rooting a Stem Before You Cut It
Air layering makes roots form on a stem while it is still attached to the parent. Here is which thick-stemmed houseplants it suits, how to wound and wrap the stem, and when to cut.
Stem Cuttings
Types of Stem Cuttings: Tip, Section and Single-Node Cuttings
Tip cuttings, cane sections and single-node cuttings explained: what each one includes, which houseplants it suits and how to set it the right way up.
Stem Cuttings
How to Take Stem Cuttings From Houseplants
The exact steps for a first stem cutting: which houseplants suit the method, where to cut in relation to the node, which leaves to remove and where to root the piece afterward.
Leaf Cuttings
View all in Leaf CuttingsPlants that can grow from a single leaf, plants that cannot, and how to tell them apart.
Leaf Cuttings
Propagating Succulents From Leaves: Callus, Roots and New Rosettes
Turn fallen or plucked succulent leaves into new plants: which succulents grow from a leaf, how to remove it whole, why it is dried first and when to begin watering.
Leaf Cuttings
Leaf Section Cuttings: Snake Plant, Begonia and Cape Primrose
A few houseplants regrow from pieces of leaf blade. Learn which ones, how to cut and set snake plant sections the right way up, and how begonia wedges and cape primrose leaves differ.
Leaf Cuttings
Leaf Petiole Cuttings: African Violets, Peperomia and More
How to grow new plants from one whole leaf and its stalk: the short list of houseplants this suits, the steps for an African violet leaf, and what to expect as plantlets form.
Division
View all in DivisionSplitting clumps, separating offsets and potting up each piece with its own roots.
Plant Division
Plantlets and Runners: Rooting Baby Plants Still on the Parent
Spider plants, strawberry begonias, mother of thousands and piggyback plants grow miniature copies of themselves. Here is how to root those plantlets, attached to the parent or detached.
Plant Division
Offsets and Pups: How to Separate Baby Plants
Aloe, haworthia, snake plant, pilea and bromeliads all make baby plants at their base. Learn how to tell when a pup is ready, how to cut it free and how to pot succulent and leafy pups differently.
Plant Division
How to Divide Houseplants Step by Step
Find out which houseplants can be split and which cannot, then follow clear steps to take a crowded clump out of its pot, separate the crowns and settle each division into its own pot.
Water Propagation
View all in Water PropagationRooting cuttings in a jar: setting it up, changing the water and moving the cutting to soil.
Water Propagation
Moving Water-Rooted Cuttings to Soil: How to Transition
How to pot up a cutting that rooted in a jar: how developed the roots should be, how to fill mix around them without breakage, and how to care for the plant while it adjusts to life in a pot.
Water Propagation
Houseplants That Root in Water (and Some That Rarely Do)
A plant-by-plant look at water rooting: the houseplants widely rooted in a jar, the ones that are slower or less reliable, and the poor candidates that need division, gritty mix or air layering.
Water Propagation
How to Propagate Plants in Water: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to rooting a cutting in a jar of water: where the node goes, how to keep the water fresh, what root growth looks like at each stage and how to tell when it is time for soil.
Plant Propagation Guides
How to Propagate a ZZ Plant: Division and Leaf Cuttings
A ZZ plant grows from underground rhizomes, which is why division is the quickest way to a second plant. Stalk and leaflet cuttings also work but are very slow. Here is how to do each and what to look for.
Plant Propagation Guides
How to Propagate a Spider Plant From Plantlets
Spider plant babies root readily when you pick ones with root nubs at the base. Here are three ways to root them, how to divide a crowded clump, and why some plants make no plantlets.
Plant Propagation Guides
How to Propagate a Snake Plant: Division vs. Leaf Cuttings
Dividing a snake plant gives a sizable plant that keeps its yellow edge, while leaf sections are slow and usually come back plain green. Compare both methods and follow the division steps.
Plant Propagation Guides
How to Propagate Monstera Deliciosa: Nodes, Cuttings and Layering
A monstera cutting needs a piece of stem with a node, not just a leaf and its stalk. Learn how to read the stem, where to cut, how to root the cutting in water or moss, and when air layering is the gentler choice.
Plant Propagation Guides
How to Propagate Pothos From Stem Cuttings
Pothos grows new plants from stem cuttings that include a node, rooted in water or in moist mix. This guide shows where to cut, what will not work, and how to use rooted cuttings to fill out a thin pot.
Propagation Problems
Cuttings Not Rooting: Possible Reasons and What to Check
A cutting that stays green but shows no roots is often just slow. Here are the checks worth making, from the node and the water line to warmth, light and season, and how to tell when to keep waiting.
Looking for something specific?
Every guide is listed on one page, from stem and leaf cuttings to division, water and soil propagation and common problems. All of them are free to read, with no sign-up needed.