Category: houseplant

Houseplant Propagation

March 24, 2025

houseplant

Another project I have been working on over the winter has been dividing, repotting, and taking cuttings from some of my houseplants. In December I purchased 2 Anthuriums and decided to divide them up because each contained multiple plants. I ended up with seven pots and I planted each in a half orchid/half indoor potting mix. Six of them survived the dividing process.

I have taken and successfully rooted cuttings from my Christmas cactus (pictured above), goldfish, and polka dot plants. I am also experimenting to see if I can air layer my peperomia succulents to get more plants. My two poinsettias are still alive, and the hot pink one is putting on a flush of new growth. The red variegated appears to be in a holding pattern for now, which is better than I have managed in the past.

My pink poinsettia started a lot of new dark red growth once the initial wave of blooms died back. I try to only water it once a week, and it gets natural light through the sliding glass door. It’s not under the grow lights, or getting any kind of special treatment. The other one is the centerpiece on the kitchen table.

Successfully rooted goldfish plant cuttings

I took a bunch of coleus cuttings in the fall before the frost killed the plants, and they rooted very well. I had them in small pots for a couple months and have now re-cut them to propagate again in cups of water. I want to refresh the roots and provide them with new potting mix in a couple months without needing to repot them again before they can be transplanted outside.

Coleus cuttings well rooted in water. I have now transplanted them to 3-inch seed cells to keep growing.

My variegated pothos is doing quite well and has run out of room along the shelf to grow, it’s trying to grow up the corner cabinet. Rather than risk it falling off and breaking the single vine, I have decided to cut it back and propagate it.

I took about a dozen single node cuttings the first week of Feb and most of them rooted in water over the past few weeks. I have now planted them in pots and hope to have a nice full hanging basket come summertime.

I’m also trying to reset some of my succulents by trying to root the leaves. Two were especially long and straggly looking, so I have cut them off and am hoping they will re-root from their stems.

My new split leaf monstera is putting out a new leaf, and I’m excited to see what it looks like once it unravels in a few days.

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Recent House Plant Additions

February 22, 2025

houseplant, Overview

Since I started working at a local farm almost a year ago, I have vastly increased my houseplant collection. Prior to that I really had a minimal selection of houseplants: ivy, spider plant, aloe, jade, a few succulents, a free pothos from a coworker, and a couple of snake plants. I have learned a lot about houseplants: identification, care, and how to help customers deal with pests.

I was able to take home a few free cuttings (inch plant, variegated spider, pothos) and succulent leaves over the course of the season. I even got several free plants, either from coworkers, or store plants that needed extra attention. One such freebie was a ZZ plant, that was partially dying. I dug it up, chopped off the roots that were rotting, and repotted it. Not sure if it will survive, but I think I improved its chances. It appears to be in a holding pattern for now, so I’m taking that as a good sign. I have also made several purchases and can now say that I own the following: ficus, pepperomia, goldfish plant, anthurium, hoya, and albuca humilis.

Overcrowded aloe that had fallen out the pot at the store, I was able to take it home for free. All these plants had been in one pot.

I’m not an expert at houseplants, but I am learning through experience. I enjoy having more greenery inside the house. It especially helps to brighten things up in winter. Right before Christmas I purchased my first ever orchids, split leaf monstera, and white princess philodendron.

Split Leaf Monstera, which needed to be repotted right away. It has since grown a new leaf.

White Princess Philodendron unfurling its first leaf

Then in early February after the farm got its first big houseplant delivery of the year, I purchased a couple of small plants. After careful deliberation I purchased my first ever Rhaphidophera decursiva, an air plant, and lucky bamboo.

My new Rhaphidophera decursiva has already put out a new leaf.

My new air plant is bright red.

Lucky bamboo, repotted to a green bonsai style pot. It has 5 shoots coming off of 3 stems so I’m hoping it will fill out nicely soon.

My houseplants have taken over three shelves of the 6-shelf rack in the family room, which I normally use for seed starting. Think I am going to be tighter on space this year, since I also have all the fig cuttings. Might need to shuffle trays around and reorganize, to fit in as much as possible near the south facing windows.

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