home + garden
PLANT PROPAGATION
CLONE IN YOUR HOME Words + Photos by Laura Mills
C
loning is something most of us see in sci-fi movies, but what if I told you that you could
clone organisms right in your home? Propagating is the simplest level of cloning and a great way to quickly fill your house with beautiful plants. The local masters of the green thumb, Bookcliff Gardens, offer us some insight on a few top tips. Keep reading for a how-to on propagating your favorite house plants! Before we dive into water propagation, let’s talk about the best plant choices for sprouting your propagation journey. Mona Dyer from Bookcliff Gardens points us towards vining plants with green stems like pothos, philodendron and Swedish Ivy. These plants are not only easy to
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Verticillatus) pinched below a growth node.
propagate but also easy to keep alive (speaking from experience). Start off with clean hands, clean vessels (such as an old sauce bottle or mason jar) and clean cutting tools (simple kitchen scissors are perfect). Plants can transmit illnesses quickly, and chemicals can have unfortunate effects on their health as well, so starting off with a clean slate is important.
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Verticillatus) cut below a growth node.
Once you pick the plant you choose to propagate, make your cut about 3 to 5 inches down the vine of the plant just above a growth node. Cutting the plant at a 45-degree angle will create more surface area for the plant to take in water. In the photos where my fingers pinch the vine would be the perfect place to make the cut. You can see Cebu Blue Pothos (Epipremnum Pinnatum) pinched below two growth nodes.
the nodes between the leaves and the pinched part of the vine. Nodes are where new growth is likely to happen.
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