Forget Black Friday: Propagate a plant

Houseplants can evoke emotions and memories. Like the four-foot-tall corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) I grew from a one-inch pot. Or the silver vase plant my daughter gave me on a long-ago Mother's Day. Or the spineless yucca I inherited from Mom, and fight like heck to keep alive. Propagating your houseplants can create living heirloom gifts for your loved ones. Imagine passing along pieces of your gorgeous Christmas cactus or your prolific spider plant. Recipients will think of you every time they water their gift. You still have time to divide or take cuttings from plants you want to gift during the December holidays. The number one key to success is cleanliness – clean and sterile pots, cutting utensils, and potting mix. The two most common ways to propagate are cuttings and division. Here are a few tips for propagation that will help ensure success. First, choose a healthy plant. Then, determine which propagation method works best for that plant. For example, a Christmas cactus can be propagated using a herbaceous cutting, while a peace plant should be divided. A helpful chart at extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6560 shows the best propagation method for some of the most common houseplants. The factsheet also provides best practices for propagation. To take a plant cutting, select a healthy stem and make a 4- to 6-inches long cut, just below a node. Nodes are the connection points for leaves, flowers, and branches. A scar or swollen area on the stem from where a leaf has fallen off also is a node. Nodes contain meristematic tissue, which can develop cells that form new leaves, branches, and roots. I've often used scissors to take cuttings, but recently learned a sharp razor blade is a better way to go. Scissors can crush the vascular system that carries water and nutrients through a plant. Make sure your tools are sharp and sterilized. Sterilize by dipping tools in a 10 percent bleach, 90 percent water solution for a minute, and then rinse. Also be sure to use clean, sterile pots with good drainage holes. After taking a cutting, remove lower leaves, flowers and buds. You can now place your cutting into water and watch for roots to grow from the nodes. For a faster method, university experts say to dip the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone (this part is considered optional on most educational websites) and then plant directly in a sterile, moist, well-draining soil medium. Garden centers sell soilless mixtures that work well for propagating. You can also use a blend of peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite. The mixture should provide good drainage and aeration for roots to grow. Since the new plant does not yet have roots, it's important to maintain humidity. An easy way to accomplish this is to place the entire plant in a plastic bag. You can also purchase plastic domes online and at garden centers. Make sure to keep the soil moist, but not wet. The cleanliness rules for cuttings also apply to division propagation: Use sharp clean tools, sterile potting soil, and clean, well-draining pots. As you look at plants that can be divided, such as ferns, peace plants, and snake plants, you'll see they send up new clumps or plants from the roots. To divide, remove the plant from the pot and use your hands to loosen the soil and the roots. Then, use a clean, sterile knife or razor blade to divide the roots and place the divisions in sterile pots with a sterile planting medium. For spider plants, simply cut the small plant off the shoot, dip in rooting compound if you like, and plant. Keep your new cuttings moist as they develop roots, and in bright, indirect light, preferably by east or west facing windows. For south facing windows, place plants several feet away. Each type of plant will take its own amount of time to form roots, but many types will be rooted within three to four weeks and can be moved to a pot slightly larger than the root mass. Paint the pot, or add a bow, and your gift is ready to start memories for a loved one. Interested in becoming a Master Gardener in Erie County? Classes are starting soon. Pick up an application in the Office at Erie County OSU Extension, 2900 Columbus Ave., Room 126, Sandusky, Ohio 44870 between 8-4:30, Monday through Friday.