How to Propagate Plants in Water

It’s amazing to know that you can propagate plants in the water! Have you ever wondered how some people have so many plants? Are they buying hundreds of dollars worth of plants per year? Do they get them as part of a plant-sharing program?

Honestly, it could be all of them. Some people enjoy getting as many plants as they can in any way that they can. But, you can propagate the plants you currently have to create more of the same plant.

Propagation is a technique of taking a cutting from an existing plant that you have and allowing it to grow roots in a separate space. Once roots have formed, you now have a new plant that you can grow wherever you want.

This post is all about how to propagate plants in water to create new plants.

Now that you know you can take a cutting from your plant to grow a new one, let’s get started.

Choosing a Plant to Propagate

All plants cannot be propagated or will not do well being propagated. Do your research to be sure that your plant can be successfully propagated.

This post focuses on plants that can be propagated in water. If you are new to this, the water method may be the easiest approach because you can actually see the roots growing in water. You always want to be able to see progress when starting something new.

Cutting your Plant

It may sound harsh, but it is not. All plants are not propagated the same, so do your research. The method of planting it in water is the same, but some plants require a different cutting technique. The following instructions are general instructions.

This is where you cut off a piece of your plant that you will put into water. Using clean snips or scissors, cut the plant right below the node. The node is where a new leaf is forming or will be forming. You can’t miss it if a leaf is there already, otherwise, it will be a bump on the stem.

Relocating your Cuttings

Now that you have your cutting(s), find a glass container that your plant can grow in until the roots have been established. This container can be a jar, vase, or any container that will hold the cutting(s) where the ends can be submerged in water.

Place the cutting(s) into the container, and fill the container with water that covers the nodes and ends of your cutting(s).

Maintenance

The longest (and maybe the hardest) part of this process is waiting! You should start to see some growth around day 5. You also want to empty the water in your container once per week and refill it with fresh water. Tap contains oxygen which will help your roots grow.

Once your roots are long and healthy, your baby plant is ready to transplant to your garden or container. Or you can keep it in water.