Cart

Close

How to water propagate indoor plants (the simple guide for beginners)

For something so easy peasy, it sure was nerve-wracking before I made that first cut. I'd reached Stage 8 in The Plant Parenthood Journey. I was ready to play Mother Nature and clone my precious plants. I had grand plans of little babies to keep, and gifts to give to friends and family, maybe even sell some of the less common babies.

 

Except I wasn't entirely sure what a node was, let alone where to cut...


If your plant is a good candidate for water propagation (most of our indoor houseplants are), then this step-by-step how to guide is for you. One of the most popular indoor plant families that propagate really well in water are Aroids, that's plants like Pothos, Epipremnum, Philodendron and Monstera, but there are lots more good candidates this method of node propagation in water works well for. Syngonium, Hoyas, Begonia... the list goes on (and on). And yes, there are also other ways to propagate, I just find water propagation the simplest way to start if you're new to propagating plants or want to speed up the process, as cuttings take longer to root in soil, plus you can easily see what's going on each step of the way.

 

how to propagate indoor plants in water

Some of products I use and recommend are ones I also sell (if you're in NZ), but if you're one of my international plant friends, I've also included options for the same products from Amazon (where I could find them for you). Amazon links may be affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links but there's no cost to you. Learn more 

 

Step 1: Know your plant's bits (and find the nodes)


The main planty parts you'll be looking for are the nodes, which I've marked on my Pothos N'Joy below. You can see the nodes are located at each junction where the petiole and leaf grow out of the main stem. 

 

the parts of a steam diagram on pothos njoy



You'll sometimes see little nubby
 aerial roots beside the nodes also (or in the case of some plants like Monstera, they can be monster aerial roots). Here's my Neon Pothos below, also showing you those nodes and aerial roots. This plant is going to be our guinea pig for today's tutorial on where to cut... 

parts of a stem


Step 2: Cut below a node


Using this method, I like to have at least two nodes and two leaves on each cutting, but you can propagate with less or more. Too many leaves on a cutting however can slow things down and reduce the chance of success. Once you've located a node, it's time to get the snips out. Make sure you're using sharp, clean snips so you don't pass any fungal disease, pests or other diseases between plants. 


TOOL TIP: What are the best snips for taking indoor plant cuttings?


The best budget-friendly snips are the Crew Mini Snips when you want to save your pennies for your plants. Or for those not in NZ, the Ryalan Small Snips are the same and available from Amazon. But I have to admit I'm slightly obsessed with my Japanese Hidehisa House Plant Shears. I use them any chance I get (that's if your budget allows you to invest in something really special for you and your plants).


PRO TIP for propagation: Cut stems on an angle


I cut the stem on a roughly 45 degree angle, but the exact angle doesn't matter, as long as it's not straight. The idea behind cutting the stem on an angle vs straight is to find a balance between disease, water and roots. Cutting straight reduces disease because cuttings seal faster, but cutting on an angle helps increase root development. Of course we're putting roots first, that's sort-of the point, so I always cut on an angle, but there's an easy way to also protect from disease when you cut on an angle, coming up in step 4 below.


Where to cut when propagating...


When you're ready, simply snip the stem on an angle just below a node, ideally below a node that already includes an aerial root. You can work your way down a stem and get multiple cuttings by repeating this same step below every node, or below every second node, making sure to include leaves.

Here's where you could cut this one, or you could shift down the stem a bit, and cut below one node further down instead to give you two nodes in the water. The key thing is to cut below a node but still keep a few leaves...


where to cut to propagate


Why include an aerial root?


Aerial roots aren't the same as soil roots, but can absorb water and nutrients, so including an aerial root in your cutting will help the cutting survive while those new roots grow.


Step 3: Remove extra leaves


Keep the top leaves on your cutting - the roots need them for enough photosynthesis to fuel that new root growth - but do remove the bottom leaves near the node that's going in the water, so the leaves don't end up rotting in the water.


You also don't want too many leaves on your cutting, as without roots the plants can't support lots of leaves for long. On most indoor plants, the nodes are where the new roots are going to grow from. This should mean you end up with cuttings that look a bit like this, below, after you've trimmed off the leaves by the bottom node...


a new stem cutting ready for propagation
cut bottom leaves off stem cutting by node 

Step 4: Dip in rooting hormone


This is a step you don't have to do, but I definitely recommend it. If you're going to cut off that lovely growth tip you might as well do everything you can to make sure it actually roots not rots!


There are a few rooting hormone pastes, powders and gels on the market. Two of the more popular ones are IBAdex and (my favourite) Clonex. You can get Clonex here in New Zealand, or get Clonex here from Amazon if you're overseas. Clonex is in a gel form (IBAdex is a powder).

Dip the bottom 1.5cms of the stem of your fresh cutting in the gel. Tap off the extra gel before putting your cutting in water (or soil or spagmoss or your substrate of choice). Clonex and IBAdex are a source of plant growth hormones, which trigger growth, but an extra benefit of Clonex is it's also an anti-fungal, so it helps protect from disease.


Step 5: Put in water


Time to bring out one of your gorgeous propagation vases you've had plans for. Although pretty much any vessel will do that keeps leaves out and the stem submerged in water. As much as I love those adorable test tube propagation stations, I don't love the constant need to top up the water. A few times I've realised the water level's dropped too low, too late, and a cutting's dried out. Oops. I also prefer a bit more room for roots than test tubes provide. I prefer a medium sized vessel for my cuttings, where the water level doesn't drop as fast due to evaporation, and roots have extra room to grow. 


Whatever size your vessel, a good tip is to put them in an area you go every day, like by the kitchen sink, so you can keep an eye on that water level. Find a spot that's warm and bright. Both help those new roots grow, but warmth is a biggie for new growth, more than light at first.


So much so, that if you're propagating in autumn or winter in cooler temperatures, definitely get yourself a heat pad is almost an essential to trigger growth). I use the Inkbird heat mats for mine (you can get the same Inkbird Heat Mat here on Amazon if you're overseas). Avoid direct sunlight as it can burn the leaves, once reason a windowsill might not be the best idea. 


Here's one of our Neon Pothos cuttings from earlier, below. Snipped, dipped, in water and ready to get those roots growing. This cutting ended up with 3 nodes and 2 leaves. You can see one node above the water, and two nodes below (I like having 2 nodes in water when I can as it increases the number of roots)... 


stem cutting in water


Step 6: Feed


There are 12 essential nutrients plants need that they can't get from light and water alone. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the biggies. They encourage plants to put out strong, new roots. Start feeding as soon as you notice the first root growing. 

There are lots of fertilisers suitable for water propagation. One of the best I've used and still use is GT CCS, made by the same company who make Clonex. You can get CCS from Amazon also.


Step 7: Change the water


You want to change the water in your propagation vessel at least once a week or at least top it up with fresh water. You can top it up to keep up with evaporation, but fresh water about once a week helps replenish oxygen and nutrients for the roots. That's also the time to add a drop of root fertiliser (like GT CCS, linked above), as well to keep those essential nutrients up for healthy, strong roots. 


Step 8: Remove from water 


Once your cutting has some nice healthy water roots underway, it's time to remove them from water, and pot them up in substrate. You can stay growing in hydro, but if you do plan to move to soil or another substrate at some stage, then don't leave them too long in water. Left too long, those delicate water roots have a harder time transitioning to bigger, tougher soil roots, and you could lose your new plant after all your patience. Here's the difference between soil roots and water roots, and how to prevent them rotting >


An ideal time for your cutting to graduate from water to soil, is when the main root reaches around 3cm to 5cms long, or an even better sign, is when the main root starts to branch and send out side roots. Some don't branch for some time, and the main root just gets longer and longer.


Here are a few rooted cuttings below, all ready to pot up. You can see how the roots have grown from the nodes on each one. The cutting on the left has started to branch, the roots on the middle cutting have been left a little longer than you'd need to, so definitely ready to pot up, and on the right you can see roots of an ideal length, and roots growing from two nodes on that cutting.   


when to remove cuttings from water to soil



How long does it take for cuttings to root in water?


A few factors come into play with how long it might take before you start to see roots. Some plants produce roots super fast, within a week or two, some take 4 to 6 weeks or longer. Heat and light both help, warmth being a key factor (which is why propagating in winter is more difficult), and a rooting hormone like Clonex definitely speeds everything up.


Until the first root appears, there's no need to fertilise at first. Give your cuttings the ideal conditions, and a little boost from rooting hormone, and you should have roots in no time. Before you know it you'll be admiring your new baby plant, created by you!


The end!


You made it! I hope you feel more confident now about giving it a go yourself, or found out a few tips and tricks to help you through the 10 stages of plant parenthood. If this guide helped you, please pay it forward and help give another planty parent the confidence to get propagating too :)
 

FREE shipping for orders $99+
Pay later Afterpay & ZIP
100% NZ In stock in NZ ready to ship
Fast delivery 1 to 3 days for most of NZ
FREE Shipping For all orders $99+ shipping NZ wide
Pay later Afterpay and ZIP available
100% NZ NZ owned. All in stock locally.
Guaranteed :) Anything wrong I'll put it right