A pothos was one of my very first plants. I knew it was an easy plant, and a friend had recommended a great local nursery to get one from. Within a few weeks, I knew I wanted to propagate my pothos. I was so eager to see if it was easy and to grow my plant collection. But I couldn’t find a great blog post to show me how! After I had my first(failed) propagation, I watched a lot of youtube videos to show me how. Now that I have successfully propagated dozens of plants, I wanted to show any new plant parents how.
What is a node?
When I started researching how to propagate plants, I kept hearing the word “node” but it wasn’t quite clear.
A node is where new roots or leaves can grow from the plant. It’s where the growth hormone lives! In a pothos specifically(as well as heartleaf philodendron), it is a small brown bump on the vine.
Once you know where the nodes are, the entire process gets so much simpler. When you cut, you will want to cut below a node. Here’s a picture of where to cut:
I’ve cut my pothos…now what?
Pothos is a fast growing plant, and roots quickly. So, propagating is as simple as putting your new cutting into a jar of water. Switch the water out about once a week to make sure that the roots get enough oxygen.
Because pothos roots so quickly, you can expect to start seeing roots within a week or two!
When the roots get to be about 2 inches long, you’re safe to pot it!
When you put your rooted pothos cutting into soil, I’d recommend that you keep the soil moist for a few weeks while the roots get acclimated to the new environment. Then, you’ll water it just like any of your other plants!
One big question I had when I first started propagating my plants, was what happens to the mother plant when you make cuts on it? If you’re doing it correctly, your plant will branch off and continue to produce new growth.
In order to make sure that you don’t cause damage to your plant, make sure that you sterilize your scissors/pruners before you use them, and that they’re really sharp! I also recommend cutting at an angle instead of straight across.
Here’s a quick video I made that shows how I propagate a pothos:
@auroramccausland a lil pothos propagation ##plantlover ##plantlovers ##plantcheck ##plantparent ##pothos ##plantpropagation ##keepingbusy ##lifeathomequiz
Let me know in the comments what plant you want me to propagate next!