Houseplants grow roots slower in winter, but propagating during the colder months can still be worth a try.
The trick is knowing how to increase your chances of success.
And the tips in this guide will teach you how to do just that.
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But with these tips, you might encourage cuttings to root faster andreduce the chances of rot.
Stem cuttings can be propagated in either soil or water, but water propagation is usually a little faster.
Take healthy cuttings.Cuttings taken from healthy, non-flowering plants are more likely to root than cuttings from stressed plants.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Add a light.A sunny window in summer may be all it’s crucial that you propagate a plant.
But in winter, cuttings root faster and more successfully with the added light from agrow lamp.
Then, poke a few small holes in the plastic to allow a little airflow.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Use a heating mat.Adding a grow light is just one way to help cuttings root faster in winter.
But you could also speed up rooting by placing your cuttings on a seedling heating mat.
Water right.Cuttings that are rooted in water need their water refreshed every day or two.
Credit:Juli Lopez-Castillo
Cuttings rooting in soil should be watered just enough to keep the soil consistently moist, but not soggy.
Dipping cuttings in cinnamon may reduce the chances of rot too.
Easiest Houseplants to Propagate in Winter
Increasing light and temperature levels help cuttings root faster.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
But if you want to make winter propagation even easier, its important to propagate the right plants.
These eight houseplants are alleasy to care forand they can be propagated in winter in soil or water.
These plantscan be propagatedin soil, but they root even faster in water.
Credit:Carson Downing
Philodendrons
Manyphilodendronsare also vining plants that can be rooted in soil or water.
Fast-growing varieties, like Heart-leaf and Velvet-leaf philodendrons, are top picks for winter propagation.
Juli Lopez-Castillo
3.
Credit:Kindra Clineff
Spider Plants
Babyspider plantssprout on the ends of long runners that emerge from the parent plant after flowering.
Thesebabies can be snipped off the parent plantwhen they sprout roots and planted in their own pots.
Some of the easiest succulents to propagate in winter includejade plants, echeveria, andsedums.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Carson Downing
5.
Inch Plants
Another vining beauty,inch plants (Tradescantiaspp.)
come in purple and green varieties and some feature silvery striping on their leaves.
Credit: Adam Albright
These plants root fast in water, but they can also be propagated in soil.
Kindra Clineff
6.
For a fuller look, plant several Swedish ivy cuttings together in a single pot.
Denny Schrock
7.
Monstera
Monsteraare big-impact plants with flashy leaves and a fast growth rate.
For faster results, choose herbs with fleshy stems, likebasilormint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soil and water propagation methods each have their perks and neither is necessarily better.
Many plants can be propagated year-round, but spring and summer are the best times for propagation.
Propagating in winter can cause plant stress and increase the chances of rot.
