Endless supply of your favourite plant! Pothos Propagation
What if I told you, you can have an endless supply of your favourite plant? As a houseplant hoarder, one of my favourite plants is Pothos or Money plant or Epipremnum aureum. If you want to introduce yourself to houseplants, I would recommend starting with Pothos.
Pothos is not just a houseplant. Unlike others that just sit around asking for your attention, it reduces the amount of formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide which are caused due to pollution and smoke. It also reduces the negativity and cleans the air off of Wi-Fi, mobile and computer signals.
During this pandemic when 60 per cent of the world is working from home, I'm sure your eyes are tired and irritated by staring at the screen for hours. But guess what? Pothos has proven to alleviate those problems and relax your eyes. It is therefore suggested to have a Pothos on your work desk.
Apart from all these, Pothos is extremely aesthetically pleasing. It climbs, creeps and will actually revolve around whatever you ask it to. Around doors, mirrors, name it and Pothos will climb!
Along with being an easy-to care plant, propagating pothos is also very easy. The best time to start propagation is during spring when they're in the growing phase. This season is considered a growing season for most of the houseplants as there is ample sunlight and perfect weather too. It gives the plant enough energy and time to repair the cut/ damaged portions before they get into the dormant phase (winter).
Let's get started!
Materials required:
1. A pair of clean/sterilized scissors
2. Jar
3. Pot
4. Potting soil
Method:
1. To start, we need to locate the nodes on the mother plant. Nodes are just potential roots of the vine and are found below every leaf. They are tiny brown looking extensions and are very easy to spot.
2. Once you've located the nodes, take a clean pair of scissors and cut an inch below the node (a 45° angle cut). You can repeat the process for as many cuttings as you want. Place these cuttings in a clean jar of water that receives bright sunlight (not direct sun) and relax for about two-three weeks. Change the water once every week so that the cuttings get a fresh set of nutrients.
3. After a few days, you would notice root growth from the nodes. Two-three weeks of time for the cuttings to grow a good enough root system is ample time before transferring them in soil. Once you see roots that are more than 2-inches, start preparing for the transfer.
TIP: 4 days before you decide to pot them, add a spoonful of soil to the jar so that the cuttings can prepare themselves for the new medium they are going to be put in.
4. You can definitely stop at step three if you do not wish to pot them. They grow really well in water as well. But do not forget to keep changing the water.
5. Place the cuttings on a clean surface and have a look at the roots to make sure they are fine. After examining, put some potting soil in a desired pot (I prefer a 4-inch grower pot, as cuttings are still small.) Start placing them in the pot one at a time and cover the roots with soil. Repeat the process with the other cuttings as well.
6. After the cuttings are in the soil, make sure you provide enough water to the soil. This step is very important but also pretty easy to neglect. You need to make sure your soil is moist for a couple of weeks after the transfer because your cuttings are used to being in water and this change could be fatal. Do not overwater it, but always keep the soil moist.
After you have watered it thoroughly, you have successfully propagated and transferred your Pothos. New growth is on its way!
When it comes to fertilizing, I would definitely suggest waiting for a couple of months as the plant has undergone a lot of changes in a small span of time, you should give it some time to get used to the soil. When time comes (preferably after 3-4 months) you can start with some homemade fertilizers (will definitely do another super easy blog for this) or a diluted fish fertilizer would definitely be loved.
I absolutely love asexual propagation as you can sit at home, and do it at no cost! There you go, endless supply of your favourite plant. Let me know if you have any propagation or Pothos tips in the comments below. I'll be in touch soon!