How to take cuttings from house plants

Follow these easy steps to taking house plant cuttings, below.

You Will Need

• Plectranthus, or other suitable houseplant
• Scissors
• Jar of water
• Plant pots
• Multi-purpose compost

Step 1

Choose healthy shoots of new growth and cut lengths of roughly 10-20cm. Cut below a leaf joint with a sharp knife. Remove lower leaves to ensure a clean stem is submerged into water.

Step 2

Push the base of the cuttings in a jam jar or glass of water. Top the glass right up to its rim with water and stand in a warm, bright position.

Step 3

Keep the water topped up. Within a few weeks you should see white roots emerging from the stem.

Step 4

Once a good root system has developed, pot the cuttings in compost. Keep the compost moist and pinch out tips to encourage branching of plants.

You can root many house plants in water, including African violets, cane-stemmed begonias, coleus, cyperus, impatiens, ivy, rubber plants and verbena, Philodendron scandens, epipremnum and tradescantia.