Do you have a plant that you wish you had more of? Don't go wasting your money to get copycats, try propagating!
There are two kinds of plants that I'll explain how to propagate based on my own experience: succulents and plants with flat leaves. Reminder that I'm not an expert, just a big fan of house plants🌿
Flat Leaf Plants
These guys are the easiest. If you have a lucious green plant that you'd like to propagate, simply follow these steps:
1) Cut off a good length from the tip of your plant. At least a few inches of stem with a few leaves.
2) Find a clear glass and fill it with enough water to cover the bottom of the plant but not enough to drown the plant entirely! Place your cutting stem down into the water. Using a clear glass allows light to hit the roots, so don't skip that part.
3) Now leave it in a sunny area for a while and watch it grow roots! Don't forget to refill the water once in a while because it will evaporate naturally.
4) Once your cutting has some solid roots, replant it in dirt and enjoy your new plant!
Succulents
Now there are plenty of ways to propagate succulents, some of which are easier than others. I'll go over the "cheating" way, the "dirt" way, and the "water" way.
Here's the "cheating" way:
1) Remove a healthy section of your succulent, including stem and at least a few healthy leaves. Do so by cutting the stem cleanly just above a leaf. It should look like a mini version of the bigger plant.
2) Lay the cutting somewhere safe and let it dry for 1-3 days. By the end the tip of the stem should've scabbed over.
3) Replant it! It's seriously that easy and now you have two plants!
Here's the "dirt" way:
1) Remove a healthy leaf from your succulent, being sure to remove it at the stem, and not breaking off any part of the leaf itself. I recommend taking a few leaves off to increase the chance that at least one of them will work.
2) Leave the cutting(s) somewhere safe to dry for a day or two.
3) Place the leaves on TOP of dirt. No, not planted into it. Leave them laying flat onto some healthy dirt. A nice little bed.
4) Use a spray bottle to water them everyday. The point of using a spray bottle instead of pouring water is to not overwater them (which is easy to do). So don't go overspraying them, cause that'll defeat the purpose of the bottle in the first place.
5) Watch them grow! Be a proud parent to your new baby succulent.
Note: This method is more difficult than the first, so don't be discouraged if most of your cuttings don't make it. The plant decides wether it'll exist or not and sometimes it simply does not want to follow our schedule.
Here's the "water" way:
1) Remove a healthy leaf from your succulent, being sure to remove it at the stem, and not breaking off any part of the leaf itself. I recommend taking a few leaves off to increase the chance that at least one of them will work.
2) Much like the method for flat leaf plants, place your cutting immediately into water but this time in a very very little amount of water (maybe 3/4cm deep). Ideally in a clear container to allow maximum sunshine.
3) Leave it for a few days and watch the roots grow!
4) Replant it when it has decently sized roots.
And there ya have it! A few wonderful methods to try and grow your small plant army.
General tips: The best time to propagate is in the spring/summer! Plants get an overdose of sun and warmth leading them to grow healthier than any other time of year.