Hey, friends! I want to show you a VERY easy way to create brand new baby plants from your existing indoor plants! It's crazy simple, I promise! This post will teach you step-by-step how to propagate houseplants in water. All that is required is a clipping from a parent plant and a glass with water!

Big full mother plant in a cream pot on a small dresser.

propagating houseplants in water

Do you ever have that plant that becomes huge and overgrown? Well this plant is a plant I bought at the greenhouse last summer. I'll be honest, I have no idea what it is, but what I do know that that it needs more sunlight that I was giving it. All of these vines became leggy because the plant was reaching for light. Can I just say that when I bought this plant it was smaller than my hand. Apparently it likes my particular style of plant neglect!

As a result of it being leggy and now looking overgrown, I have decided to prune the plant and trim it back. I hated the idea of throwing away the vines that I cut off though. So I decided to make new plants from them. Plant propagation is so easy to do and you can do it with almost any house plant or outdoor plant. So let's jump in and learn how to grow new plants using the water method and clippings from a mother plant.

HOW TO PROPAGATE PLANTS IN WATER

Cut at least 5 clippings` off of your plant that are 5-7 inches long.
Prep and prune your clippings by gently removing the bottom two thirds of the leaves. **
It is a good idea to wash a glass jar so that it is free of bacteria and any residual debris. I recommend using a glass bottle with a smaller neck and opening so that the vines do not fall to far into the water.
Fill the clear glass with filtered room-temperature water or fresh water. Do not use city water or chlorinated water, as this can hinder the plants ability to grow new roots.
Place you trimmed new cuttings into the water. Make sure the water level comes up above the highest node on the plant cuttings.
Be sure to set them in an area with the appropriate amount of light for the plant. For example, a plant that likes direct sunlight will get placed about six feet away from a bright and sunny window.
After about 5-7 days you will notice white buds coming out of those little nodes we talked about in step 2. These are the start of the rooting process that will eventually be the the root system of the the plant.
After the vine begins to grow several healthy roots, approximately 8 weeks, you can choose to either transplant it into a flower pot or leave it growing in the water. Some plants, like pothos cuttings, will continue to grow and thrive in water long-term. In my bathroom with no windows, I've been growing a pathos plant in water for almost a decade! Whatever this little plant is, she prefers soil so I usually try to get the new plants potted after a few months.

If you choose to transfer your new plant into soil, be sure that you are using a fresh potting soil or soil that will meet the needs of your plant.

plant vine clipping with pruned lower leaves and growth nodes. — If you see 'nodes' like the bumpy spots on the stem in the picture below, don't remove them! This is where the new root development and new root growth will come from.

FAQs ABOUT HOW TO PROPAGATE PLANTS IN WATER

Do I need to add any nutrients to the water?

There is no need to add additional nutrients to the water when propagating plants. If you choose to keep the plant as a hydroponic plant, meaning it grows all the time in water, you might need to add some nutrients to the water as the plant reaches a mature state.

When should I plant my propagated plant?

You can plant your propagated plant at about 8 weeks. Once you see a healthy root system on your plant clippings, you can transplant it.

What kind of plants can I propagate?

You can propagate most types of houseplants. The most common houseplants to propagate are spider plants, the zz plant, snake plant, pothos plant, jade plant, and philodendrons. You will take some clippings, clear the bottom ⅔'s of the stems of leaves and place them in a jar of water. Making sure that you leave the jar with the plant clippings in the appropriate light requirements.

What do I use to to cut the cuttings off the mother plant?

I would recommend using a very sharp knife, sharp pair of scissors, or sharp pruning sheers. You want them to be sharp so that the end of your cutting has a crisp, clean cut.

A glass bourbon jar filled with water and cuttings that have well established roots. — It will take about 8 weeks of growing in water for the vine to have enough roots to be transplanted in soi

FUN FACTS ABOUT HOW TO PROPAGATE PLANTS IN WATER

Propagating your own plants is a great way and a cost effective way to increase the number of indoor plants you have.
You can use a compound called rooting hormone to help your stem cuttings grow new roots. Most plants will not require this, but if a plant is struggling, it could be beneficial!
Making a new plant from your plant collection will not only help you expand your collection, but can be a great gift for a loved one.

two small neck glass jars with plant clippings in them.

Plants that vine typically do very well growing in water. Although, this isn't a concrete rule, so experiment and see how yours do! I'd love to see your creations, tag me on Instagram so I can see them! @ninnescahhomestead