New Plants for Free!

There are so many plants out there that are just so easy to share.  Sometimes I really really want a new plant, but just know it isn’t a good purchase budget decision.  Many cacti are easy, you can just break off a leave and stick it in the ground.  It takes months, sometimes, for the cactus to get its own roots. 

Some other plants set off shoots during certain times of the year.  Strawberries, for example, send out shoots that grow their own roots and, in turn become their own plant.  It is easy to share plants with your friends by taking advantage of the plants own desires to have baby plants. 

In the past several months, I’ve practiced propagating plants in this fashion.  I’ve dabbled with chocolate mint, strawberry, (so far it sounds like I am making ice cream!), African violet, lemon verbena, and wandering jewel (also known as wandering Jew, but that just sounds wrong, so I will call it wandering jewel). 

Here is what you do for plants that send out shoots, like the strawberry and chocolate mint.  Just fill a small container, with holes for drainage, with some soil, or soil-less medium.  Then find the shoot, and ease it onto the dirt in the new container.  Do not cut it from the mother plant yet.  Grab a couple hair pins, or paper clips (first unfold them so they are in a u-shape) and use them to loosely anchor the new shoot in the dirt.  This way, the new roots can grow into the new dirt without moving around all the time and damaging the roots.  Keep it nice and moist.  Check for new root growth in a week or two.  You can gently tug the plant, if it comes out of the dirt there will likely not be any roots.  Once your plant has a decent number of roots, you can snip the new plant from the older plant.  All done!  You have a new plant. 

For other plants, such as the wandering jewel, you don’t need to do all that.  Just ask a friend for a few snippings.  Snip off 3-4 inches of the plant (by the way, pruning the plant like this is a good thing.  It encourages the plant to grow bushier rather than spindly).  I’d suggest, getting 3-4 different cuttings from different branches—not sure if that is the right word.  So, strip off the last two inches of leaves.  If you have rooting hormone—I don’t, use it now.  But if you have rooting hormone, why would you be reading this instructional?  So, now, stick your shoot into some moist soil, or soil-less medium.  Keep it moist and it should grow its own roots.  In a couple months, look for new leaves.  Then you know it is all ready for re-potting. 

Hopefully, next year my plants will be mature and ready to propagate.  So I’ll be ready to share ;)