Cutting or spring cutting of houseplants and their propagation!
Spring is in full bloom, so it's time to get out the scissors and knives to turn our (winter-ravaged or wild-faced) green jungle into a cozy kingdom again.
We will describe and explain in detail why, when and how to cut and cut roomies in this article, so read on!
Why?
Every housekeeper is different, just like every grower. For this reason, things may look different in your home after winter. Some plants may be withered, have fallen leaves, withered parts... or, on the contrary, they may have grown into strange shapes, awkwardly stretched behind the fading light. Some species (for example, candlesticks or philodendrons, scindapsus) could disappoint their owners with long gaps between the next row of leaves or even bare stems without them at all.
If one of your rooms matches the description above, then that spring haircut needs like salt! So why do we cut and trim?
There are many reasons, but among the most common are the following:
- A big, rich maid
Would you like a flower pot filled to the brim with your favorite plant? Cut! By cutting the plant, we stress it to create a new growth point and thus gradually branch out. When we let the cuttings take root (and you will learn how to do this in this article), we can transplant them back to the mother plant and thereby thicken it with another growing shoot.
The picture shows a plant that was created from several cuttings planted in one pot. You can also buy this rich Pothos Manjula "Happy leaf" in our e-shop.
- The roommate is outgrowing or we want more roommates!
By taking cuttings, we can relieve the mother plant, which will have more energy left for its own growth, and we can also grow our own plant babies from the rooted cuttings. We can keep them or give them to our surroundings.
TIP: Have you heard of the so-called plant relay or plant "green swap"? No? If you have an excess of cuties or maids at home that you didn't quite like (or they started evicting you from your own apartment), try to exchange them (swap) for some other one, for example through the Facebook groups of individual cities (e.g. green swap Olomouc, Zelený swap) or come to our store, where we have one such swap location!
- The maid is not doing well, she is dry, yellow... she is simply unwatchable.
The sad reality is that not all maids will fill us with happiness and we will have them forever. However, yellow or dry parts don't necessarily mean definitive end and bin (or compost bin).
By removing these dying parts of the plant, we will primarily help ourselves (the growers), because then the plants will not remind us of that sad reality. At the same time, we also protect the other maids, because it is the dying parts that attract all kinds of pests (and that's just a nightmare)!
When?
We can cut room rugs practically at any time... but even here there are a few factors that we should be aware of before making the final cut.
- Energy source
If the maid begins to die (dry or turn yellow), try not to reach for the scissors for a while. Think of the fact that the plant takes nutrients from such a leaf and gradually "sucks" it to its advantage. However, for preventive reasons (pests) and from an aesthetic point of view, it is necessary to consider how long you can stand not using the scissors. ☺
- Too much stress is bad for everyone
Keep in mind that every procedure we perform on a maid (for whatever loving reason) means stress for her. Transplantation - stress. Relocation and change of conditions - stress. And cutting? – also stress. Even though nature is amazing and can deal with anything incomprehensibly, it would be reckless and pointless to test it like this. Let's show our home greens a kindness and dose them with stress gradually - perhaps with intervals of several (weekly) days.
TIP: We can recognize a plant that is under stress, for example, by the changed leaves (withered, shriveled) or by the fact that it stops growing. Therefore, if your room plant is actively growing, it is more likely that you will not harm it by cutting.
- Winter
The winter period is actually one giant stress and if you want our plant to cope with it as best as possible, remember the rule three times NO: don't transplant, don't fertilize and especially don't cut!
In general, it can be said that the most suitable time for a proper haircut is in the fall (we lighten the houseplants for the winter and the cuttings will take root by spring) or in the spring.
How?
The easiest method of cutting and propagating houseplants is through their rootstocks, which have aerial roots. In the pictures, you can see what the aerial roots of popular and frequent houseplants look like: pothos, philodendron, monstera and candlestick.
Monstera Adansonii 'Monkey mask' and visible aerial roots.
Variegated candlestick (ceropegia woodi variegata) and its aerial roots.
One more time and a closer look at the neon pothos cutting:
The pinion itself is the most essential part for the propagation of these plants - and thus differs from, for example, peperomias (pepper plants), which reproduce without them. The rootstock contains both the potential for the growth of new roots and the potential for the growth of a completely new plant. Logically, without a peg, we won't have roots or a plant - and that's what it's all about. A new plant will never grow from a leaf without a root (for example, with ficuses, the leaf itself can take root, but it will never continue to grow).
We always cut the plant about 1-2 cm below the stem from which we want to have a new plant.
Attention! Carefully wash or disinfect the scissors or knife with which you will propagate the maid. This will prevent possible infection of the mother plant and the cutting from dirt on the blade.
The collar becomes active as soon as it comes into contact with moisture or water. Within a few weeks, roots will begin to appear, thanks to which the cutting will get the energy to start growing.
How the plant will continue to grow depends on what type of cutting we have:
- Top cutting
This is a cutting that contains a peg already with an active growth point, as we can see in the picture. A rooted cutting planted in this way continues to grow - this is the fastest propagation option .
- Stem cutting (stem cutting) + photo stem cutting + stem cutting new growth
This cutting contains a spigot without an active growing point. It is practically a cutting from the middle part of the plant. It contains only a peg from which the roots will grow and usually one leaf that creates energy for the cutting. This is a slower version of multiplication , due to the fact that the potential growth point in the peg is only activated - over time. Take a good look at the leaf during this time, because once a new plant grows from the peg, that leaf from the original plant will likely die. Also, be prepared that the stem cutting plant tends to be smaller to begin with - it takes a while for a houseplant to grow strong enough to have the same size leaves as its mother.
- Wet stick cutting
This is how we label a cutlet that is bare - without leaves. You might think that it is therefore useless, but it is not true. If your cutting contains a peg, it can still grow into a new plant. But it is the slowest method of all. It must be observed frequently in water (or in another moist medium) to ensure that it does not rot. Because it does not contain a leaf that would provide it with the necessary energy to grow, it grows very slowly and, just like from a stem cutting, it will become a tiny, small plant that will grow stronger and stronger over time. But the beauty is worth waiting for, isn't it?
TIP for rooting cuttings : we can put fresh cuttings in water (if we want to enjoy the growth of the roots), clay or another moist medium (peat). If we would like to support and accelerate their growth, we can reach for lignohumate (nutrition and support of the root system), which we dilute with water according to the instructions. Another option is to use a root stimulator (white powder), which we carefully sprinkle on the cutting in places where it has aerial roots.
We wish you a smooth spring trimming (and no tears, just in case...everything always grows back!).
Good luck and cuts to everyone!
Jana Beránková
