Growing plants from cuttings is an excellent way to fill your garden with lush flowers, herbs, and other plants without spending any money. Look for houseplant-specific or compact varieties which won’t grow too large to be used as an indoor plant; these types typically don’t grow more than two or three feet high or wide. You can propagate various types of plants by division, air layering, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, etc. For example, if you have one tomato plant that out-produces all the others, that is the plant to choose, as long as it is still healthy. Your plant may need a little less water when growth slows in the winter, so keep an eye on the soil during the spring and fall transitions. The easiest and most common methods of propagating houseplants are taking stem and leaf cuttings or splitting them up into divisions. Division should be done in the spring or early summer after the plant comes out of winter dormancy. You can replant the tubers immediately if you want to put them in a container. Select a large pot with drainage holes and fill it with well-draining potting soil. Accomplishing division is relatively simple and will turn a crowded alocasia into two or more new plants. You can also use a potting mix made of two parts African violet mix or a blend of equal parts coarse sand or perlite, peat, and potting soil. In the case of a vine plant (such as Devils Ivy), a new stem will often grow from where it was cut and/or higher up the vine, or from the top. Because I received a few cuttings, I figured I could afford to experiment a little, so I decided to do another propagation trial.   You can use tip cuttings—the end of a branch with new growth—or a portion of stem with at least one leaf at the top. Start by taking several nice, straight cuttings that are 3 to 4 inches in length, then stripping away the leaves from most of the cuttings' length (leave a few at … Remove the leaves on the part of each cuttings that will be under water in your glass or vase. Hoya Kerrii with Stem and Root Rot; Hoya Kerrii with stem and root rot removed and ready for propagation; Finicky Plants that go into Shock Easily Rooting chain of hearts in water is super easy. One of my favorite topics about alocasias is their propagation, as this is one of its overall strengths. Alocasia, also known as African mask plant or Kris plant, is known for its large, heart-shaped leaves with attractive contrasting veins. It has large, beautiful, and sizable leaves and does also produce flowers occasionally but that is not its striking feature. Both species are within the same family, but have different requirements. I haven't been able to visit your blogs in a while thanks to this "family crisis" and the wedding coming up! Taking cuttings from a plant stimulates growth, and helps to make the plant bushier (in addition to taking your rooting cuttings and planting them up the top). The easiest way to propagate Tradescantia pallida is through stem cuttings. DONE. Each clump will grow a new plant. Step 3: Plant your divisions in appropriately sized containers with well-drained potting mix, then water the new plants. Use a rich soil between 5.5 and 7.0 pH. Alocasia grows from rhizomes in the ground, and the best method of alocasia plant propagation involves splitting up these rhizomes. It is transplanting time. 5 Ways to Propagate String of Hearts 1. Like many of their cousins in the aroid family, such as philodendrons, pothos, monstera, and ZZ plants, alocasia are easy to propagate via cuttings or division. Alocasia propagation | Step by step The first step to Alocasia propagation is to remove the plant from its pot and shake the excess soil off its roots. Alocasia Propagation from Cuttings I know you're probably tired of hearing about my Alocasia "California", but this time I have more than words of adoration for my favorite specimen in the garden. However, alocasia are inedible and are more often grown in containers as indoor plants. The best method to propagate the alocasia plant is through rhizome division. In this year it produces many baby plants in this year. Make a hole with a pencil in the soil in the pot and insert the cutting into the soil. My name is Steve Asbell and I'm the author of. Simply take several cuttings that are a few inches long and place them in water. It hasnt had time to harden and the interior cells are very active and generally easy to reproduce. I was wondering if there is a way to take/make cuttings from it? Elephant ears like to grow in soil that is consistently moist. or to get some more plants from it. Propagation of alocasia should be done in spring or early summer, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy from the winter. Alocasia which is also infamously known as Elephant Ear or African mask is a type of household tropical plant. Dividing alocasia into smaller portions can be done due to the clumping or rhizomatous (spreading via underground stems) nature of the root structure. I liked the pictures. Like many of their cousins in the aroid family, such as philodendrons, pothos, monstera, and ZZ plants, alocasia are easy to propagate via cuttings or division. The best time to divide your alocasia is in spring or … Awesome! Simply place the cuttings onto wet moss and close the lid. Dividing alocasia into smaller portions can be done due to the clumping or rhizomatous (spreading via underground stems) nature of the root structure. Be sure to cut back any shriveled or rotten roots before planting with fresh soil in a slightly larger container. Keep divisions in a space free from drafts or temperature fluctuations while their root systems re-establish, then care for them as usual. Alexandra Jones is an avid urban grower and Master Gardener writing about houseplants, gardening, and sustainability from her home in Philadelphia. Display your alocasia where temperatures don’t drop below 60 degrees at night. Use a clean, sharp blade or pruners to separate the roots if needed. You can propagate elephant ears by seed, runner or by transplanting. This plant was grown by me in previous year. Why? I hope that the family crisis was not too bad and that the wedding is wonderful! Cut off a piece of the underground rhizome and pot it up separately, then keep it warm and moist until new growth begins. As alocasia is toxic to people and pets, choose a spot that’s out of reach of children, dogs, and cats. Thereafter, water the soil at least every other day and do not let the top layer dry out. With a shovel, carefully dig around the plant and lift it out of the ground. A node is the place on the vine where the leaves emerge. Voilà! Annother Alocasia that is also called African Mask is Alocasia Polly.Alocasia itself is a genus of 70 different species. Oh well. That is a beautiful plant! Very good post. Can you propagate alocasia Polly? You can also place small divisions in water to allow new roots to grow before planting in soil. Alocasia plants benefit from high humidity. Your new plants will be genetically identical to the mother, so choose the best plant possible. If you want to save the plant and put it in water, you need to remove all the soil and put the whole root system in water. While alocasia may look similar to their cousins colocasia, or elephant ear plant, colocasia have edible roots and are typically grown outdoors. Make a well in the soil a little larger than the tuber and place the tuber in the well with the pointy side facing up. Subscribe to my blogs on. If you do have an outdoor space, such as a yard, deck, balcony, or fire escape that’s not in direct sun, your alocasia will benefit from living outdoors in the warm summer months. How to Propagate an Alocasia Plant. You can put 3-4 cuttings in different holes in the same pot. Thanks guys! Another compact variety, ‘Silver Dragon,’ has silvery, pale green leaves with dark green veining that shows red on the underside. In this article, I will focus on propagating Sansevieria with leaf cuttings in soil. Most Alocasia plants can be propagated by clump or rhizome division. Have used seed & division to propagate this plant little or no luck with cuttings. Feed your alocasia with half-strength liquid houseplant fertilizer three or four times per year. Now that the cutting has arrived, I am going to prepare it for propagation. I will also update this post regularly to show the progress of the cuttings. You want a plant that is healthy, grows well, and produces well. You can also group your humidity-loving tropical houseplants together, which can help to create a more humid microclimate in your space. Click to see full answer Also question is, can you propagate alocasia from Leaf? I have some black velvet alocasia, it seems to being doing pretty well getting a little to big for my vivarium. Most plants will root well from a softwood cutting, which is this seasons new growth. Place your plant on top of a tray of pebbles with just enough water so that pebbles will elevate the bottom of the pot above the water line; this will add humidity to the air around your plant as the water evaporates. Semi-softwood cuttings are taken in summer when the new growth is nearly mature and hardwood cuttings are very mature material and generally quite woody. Can’t you propagate an alocasia from a leaf? And you know us; we're always looking to add that feel to our homes. Since alocasia are tropical jungle plants, they need consistent soil moisture. I'll have to try it. Plant cuttings are grouped into four basic categories: softwood, greenwood, semi … Do NOT try to take cuttings from an Alocasia, it will never work. The time a cutting is taken depends upon what type of plant you are propagating. The best time to propagate basil by taking cuttings is during the growing season, which is usually during spring, summer, and fall. Start with cuttings from your plants, or ask friends for their cuttings. There are three ways that you can propagate herbs: by rooting cuttings in water, planting cuttings into a growing medium, and growing basil from seeds. Impatiens are beautiful and colorful flowers that are ridiculously easy to propagate from cuttings in water. The Rainforest Garden is about enriching your life with everything that the garden has to offer, be it mud puddles, surprise blooms or freshly-picked backyard produce. (Division) The propagation of Alocasia Polly is called Division. Wait! The best propagation method of alocasia is via division. Sphagnum Moss and a closes plastic container seems to be the most common way to propagate shingling plants. No. A window that doesn’t get harsh direct sun, like a north-facing or east-facing window, can be a great spot for this plant to thrive. You see, today I'll actually show you how to grow your own Alocasias from stem cuttings! Plant your alocasia in a container with a loose, well-drained soil. Its had as many as 3 leaves, but is at one rather large leaf now (with another starting to split off from the main stem).-tad These bold tropicals can add a striking, jungle-like vibe to your space. Please feel free to share your questions, ideas and suggestions! . Most experts agree that the recommended way in which you can propagate your plant is by rhizome or clump division. I've never thought to take cuttings - I assumed divisions. How to Propagate a Hoya Cutting in Water. Thanks. When will you be getting married and where are you going for your honeymoon? 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(Alocasia … Learning to propagate cuttings in water is an excellent way to multiply plants that may not grow true to type from seed, or that may be difficult to germinate. So here goes… Sphagnum Moss . Take some cuttings, put them in water, wait for roots to start growing and then plant your new plant babies. Alocasia can also do well on a windowsill in your bathroom, where they’ll get good light, and steam from the shower will add moisture to the air. Hopefully part 2 will be a follow-up to these fallen trunks. If you're stuck waiting for another one of my blog posts, fear not! If the soil turns out to be quite clumped, you can soak it in water or use a gardening hose to free up the roots. How to Propagate Your Alocasia Plant . Lightly pack soil around the tuber and water it gently. To propagate, the recommendation is to take at least a two-node cutting. Step 2: Gently pull apart the root ball into clumps, making sure that each clump includes at least a couple of potato-like tubers among the roots. 6. If its a plant like an alocasia that has rhizomes roots, make sure to cut as much of the rot off as possible but try to salvage a part of the rhizome since this is where new roots will grow from. Do NOT cut off the stem of your Alocasia. Keep the soil very lightly moist. Great post, Steve! If you choose a sickly plant that gave you only one tomato, don’t expect t… Because unlike other plants, its propagation does not involve planting the stem-cuttings. The best time to divide your alocasia is in spring or early summer at the start of the growing season. Not to mention water propagation versus soil propagation. How to Propagate Alocasia Polly? Step 1: Carefully remove the mother plant from its pot and use your fingers to loosen and remove soil from the roots. Did you replant everything? To propagate this way, just fill a few small pots with that same light but rich soil and stick the cuttings about halfway in there. How to Propagate from Cane Cuttings. Consider running a humidifier near them to create the best conditions. Tradescantia plants root extremely quickly that way. Because Alocasia Polly is a tuberous plant that grows from a bulb. Alocasia Frydek or Alocasia Micholitziana or sometimes just called Alocasia Green Velvet is a stunning plant and one of our favourites Alocasias. My two-year old son, however, is my biggest and most exhausting accomplishment. Alocasia x Amazonica, also known as Alocasia ‘Polly,’ features shiny, deep green leaves with angular edges and contrasting white veining. Frydek is an Elephant’s Ear variation that is also called the Green Velvet Alocasia. Wow how easy! Your alocasia may bloom, but its flowers aren’t particularly showy, with the tiny blooms growing on a buff-colored spadix surrounded by a pale green or white spathe. There are many striking varieties of alocasia with a wide range of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Keep the soil evenly moist, but avoid allowing it to dry out completely or become waterlogged. WATER PROPAGATION. How to Propagate Rubber Tree Plants With Cuttings . You won’t be able to see whether the cuttings are rooting successfully, so for the first few weeks you … Alocasia regulina ‘Black Velvet’ is a small-sized variety that has soft, velvety, round leaves colored almost black with contrasting white veining. When your houseplants begin to crowd their pots, you may thin them out and create new plants by taking cuttings. Propagating with cuttings is a great way to put the pruned-off pieces of your rubber tree to work. At least I know you'll still be there when I get back from the honeymoon and have more free time! 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