What do you find is the most successful houseplant for growing from cuttings? What method would you use to get it going?
Thanks!

Welcome K89mmk! Spider plants are great if you can get a hold of one with babies on it. I've done ivy, african violets (waiting to see the final results) and fittonia. All of those I let sit in a cup of water, with the key being the cup should be not-quite-clear (like those little plastic cups you can buy at the grocery store). The ivy took the longest, with the spider being the quickest. I think philodendrons also root in water. I've read that you can do jade plants just by laying a leaf on the soil. Also Christmas Cacti. I think you can just stick them in the soil without roots, but I always prefer to see the roots before I stick 'em. With something like a violet, where the leaves shouldn't get wet, I put seran wrap over the top of the cup and cut a hole in it to stick the leaf. Hope this helps! Good luck!

I've grown numerous plants from cuttings (almost all the plants I have are from friend's mother plants). Try these: wandering Jew, philodendron, Swedish ivy, pothos, angelwing begonia, ficus, hoya (wax plant), kalanchoe. I've had great success with all of these and it's very easy to start them.

The spider babies I just put straight in dirt. You don't have to root them out. I have also had luck rooting wandering jew, sweedish ivy, sweet potato plant, and arrowhead plant. Some plants you can divide...I have also split arrowhead plants, this I do now instead of rooting now. I have also split peace lilies.

Connie

I've narrowed down the choices. What are your thoughts on each of the following, taking into consideration general looks, time & difficulty to propagate, and ease of care.
1. African Violets
2. Ivy
3. Swedish Ivy
4. Pothos
5. Philodendrons
6. Prayer Plants

Thank you all again for all the advice!

Well, I think my pothos was super easy! I got 2 small clippings, and let them sit in a glass of water to get roots, then in the pot they went, and wow, in about a year, look at my 2 tiny pieces now!



Meg

The ivy's philodendron and pothos are all easy to propogate and very easy to care for. I have a prayer plant I have had for 3 years now. It used to bloom and looked gorgeous. We moved and it has yet to bloom again. I have moved it several times and it is still not as happy as it was before.

Connie

Funny how plants are like people in that they either like where you put them or they don't. I had to move a new aloe a couple of times lately before it began to look healthy. The pothos is absolutely the easiest ivy to propagate and grow.

I absolutely love cuttings. Here are the favorites:
1. Spider Plants--putting a baby plantlet in soil is very easy. Just wait, and they grow and soon are sending their own little babies.
2. Pothos--put them in a bowl of water and they grow into nice green vines
3. African Violets--one leaf produced like 5 babies, and use several leaves, you have lots of plants. I love growing them like that!

There is a pothos in the classroom I work in and there is nothing to the care of it. The kids "take care" of it and they usually do pretty well with things. I do have a question as well, I know pothos grow well indoors but how well do they grow outdoors in summer? I like to put my plants outside in summer as much as possible so they get "real" light. Any suggestions?

Hi Plant Faerie,

Pothos must be kept out of direct rays of the sun at all times. In nature they grow on the floor of the tropical rainforest under the heavy shade of the leafy tall trees. So, if you move them outside, be sure they are under heavy shade at all times.

BTW, I have found that Pothis thrive under just fluorescent lights. If that is what you have in your classroom, I suggest that you keep them there.