For a plant lover, the urge to get more plants is real. However, what if we tell you that you can increase the number of plants for FREE? With the plant propagation technique, you can have as many new plants as you want by using only the cuttings from the parent plant. Furthermore, you can decorate your walls, window sill, or every other corner in your house by placing these cuttings in any container. If you are new to propagation and want to grow plants from water cuttings but don’t know how to start it. Don’t worry! As long as you follow the proper guidelines, propagating plants in water is easy.

1. What is Plant Propagation:

Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants. Propagation can be done well in soil, but you can easily root a few plants in water. The plant usually grows in water by the cuttings of parent plants.

You must take out cuttings from a developed plant and put them in the water. In this way, the parent plant will not experience any adverse effects when you remove certain cuttings from it. After placing them in water, there will be roots from the cuttings, and you can lastly plant them in the soil. In this way, root plant cuttings propagate new plants solely using water.

Plant propagation is inexpensive, and you can root the cuttings in any container available at home. However, various plant propagation stations are available on the market that can beautify your indoor space.

Related Article: 10 Best Glass Plant Propagation Station Options To Buy in 2022

1.1. Propagating in Water vs. Soil, Which is Better?

Before starting propagation, it is important to differentiate both the medium that can be used for cutting. Roots grow faster in water because they need less energy to develop. Usually, water roots pop out within 2 weeks of placing in water. Whereas roots grow a bit slower in soil than in water, it can take up to 3-4 weeks for the roots to grow. ,

Water roots are white, hairy, and delicate compared to soil roots. Therefore, it is advisable to transfer the cutting to the soil when the roots develop so the plant can grow to its maximum potential.

1.2. 3 Ways to Grow Plants From Cuttings in Water

You can take a cutting from the parent plant in 3 ways: Stem, leaves, and pups.

1. Nodes/Stem
2. Leaves
3. Pups/ plantlets

2. How to Grow Plants From Cuttings in Water?

In this section, we will describe in detail plant propagation in water, starting from the things required for the process to how cuttings can be propagated.

2.1. Things Required For Propagation in Water:

Before starting the process, it is necessary to have all the required things at hand. For growing plants from cuttings, we require the following things.

• Pruners/ Scissors
• Glass vessel or vase filled with water
• Garden gloves to prevent germs
• A plant that you want to propagate

Related Article: Must Have Tools for Indoor Plants – A Beginner’s Guide

2.2. How to Propagate with Stem Cuttings: Step-By-Step

Most plants can be propagated by taking cuttings of the stems, including the node. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to grow plants from stem cuttings in water

Step 1: Select a healthy houseplant that can root easily. Selecting a plant with an established root system is recommended, so the plant will not be affected when a few stems are cut from them. Not all houseplants can be propagated in water. Few plants that grow roots with cuttings are as follow:

• Pothos
• Monstera
• Philodendron
• ZZ plant
• Fiddle leaf fig

Step 2: Take cuttings from the plant. For that, find the node and make a diagonal cut. If you cannot find the node, it is a bump where the leaf and stem are attached. However, ensure the cuttings are at least 4-6 inches long. Otherwise, they will not root well and, if rooted, will not be compact enough.

Step 3: Remove any lower leaves that touch the water. Also, remove the flowers, if any, because flowers are not helpful for the rooting process. Because flowers can develop into seeds and take all the nutrients required for rooting.

Step 4: Now the cutting is ready for rooting, so place it in a container filled with water. You can take any vase or bottle. However, if you use a clear container, then you can easily monitor the roots.

Step 5: Now, wait for the roots to develop. Try to maintain the water level so the roots don’t become dry. Moreover, keep changing the water once a week, so it doesn’t become cloudy.

Step6: Once you see white hairy roots, you can put the cutting in the soil for the plant to grow further.

2.3. How to Propagate with Leaves Cuttings: Step-By-Step

Some but not all plants can be propagated from just a leaf. When propagated, most of the leaves will not grow roots or rot. If you want to grow plants from leaves cuttings in water, follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Choose the plant that is suitable for rooting through leaves cuttings

• Fiddle fig leaf
• Sansevieria
• Jade Plants
• Succulents
• ZZ plant

Step 2: Cut the leaf from the petiole (stalk that joins a leaf to the stem). If you have a leaf without a petiole like a snake plant, you can cut the long leaf into 3-4 inches small pieces.

Step 3: Place the cutting with or without petiole in water.

Step 4: Wait for the roots to grow. This method is very slow and requires a lot of patience. The snake plant cuttings can take months to root.

Step 5: Ater you see the roots, wait for the tubers to develop like in zz plant or baby buds like in succulents.

Step 6: After that, you can put the leaf with roots and tubers in the soil.

2.4 How to Propagate with Pups/Plantlets/offshoots: Step-By-Step

Another interesting method to grow new plants from cuttings in water is by propagating pups, plantlets, or offshoots. These are also known as sister plants and grow from lateral roots just below soil level.

Step 1: Choose your plant with pups, plantlets, or offshoots that can be propagated in water.

• Spider plant Plantlets
• Echeveria pups
• Snake plants pups

Step 2: Once you select the plant, cut the offshoots from the parent plant

Step 3: Next step is to place the sister plant in a container with water. Ensure only the lower part where roots will be is in water, and the complete pup is not submerged in water.

Step 4: Once you see roots, pot in the soil.

3. Tips for Better growth of Root Cuttings

Patience: Don’t forget patience is the key to experiencing successful propagation. It is true because the new roots may take from weeks to months. You may see no result in weeks, and it may kick up after that. However, you must place the rooting plant where there is indirect and bright light. 

Rinse the roots: Remember that when changing water, rinse your roots a little bit and use your fingers to rub them lightly. Undoubtedly, you want to get rid of the slimy film, so you place it in the new fresh water. 

Use right water: Make sure you use the right water for the roots. Rainwater and spring water in bottles is far way better than tap water. Water is very important for fulfilling the nutrient requirements of the root plants. Our recommendation is to get more minerals in it for the roots’ growth.

Use Rooting Hormone: The naturally occurring plant hormone auxins are responsible for root growth. Some plants may take a little longer to root. Therefore, you can use root hormones to facilitate root growth. They are usually in the form of gel, powder, or liquid.

Apply Fertilizer to the Water: Water contains nutrients and minerals, which can sometimes be insufficient for root growth. You can add a soluble fertilizer to the wearer to speed up the rooting of cuttings.

Provide Bright, Indirect Sunlight: Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis. For cuttings to survive without the support of the parent plant, it is necessary for them to start producing energy quickly. This can be done through photosynthesis. And for this process, bright indirect sunlight is a requirement.

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Sum Up

To be precise, now you learn how to root cuttings in water. You can add greenery to your area and maximize your gardening inexpensively. Let your area beautify with your gardening hobby. Nevertheless, you can even gift it to your friend or loved one.

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