How to Propagate Plants for Sharing
Most plants are pretty easy to propagate in order to share with your community and friends!
Let’s get started
There are already a ton of resources out there, so there’s no point in me re-creating the wheel! Below are links to articles about how to propagate different types of plants.
Pothos
These are definitely one of the easiest plants to propagate! Just be sure to cut it with a node on the stem and stick that in water.
Learn More:
- “How to Propagate Pothos Plants” from The Spruce
- “How to Propagate Pothos (with Photos)” from Instructables
Snake Plants
While snake plants are easy to propagate, they do require a lot of patience to see roots!
Learn More:
- “How to Propagate a Snake Plant so you can share it with friends” by Better Homes & Gardens
- “How to Propagate Snake Plants, 3 Ways” from The Spruce
Succulents/Cactus
Succulents and Cactus is a wide category but a lot of them are pretty simple to propagate with some luck!
Learn More:
- “How to Propagate String of Pearls in 4 easy ways” from The Spruce
- “How to Propagate Succulents from Leaves” from The Spruce
- “Easy Succulent Propagation with Photos” from Instructables
- “Removing offsets from Cactus” by Gardening Know How
- “How to Propagate a Cactus” from WikiHow
Philodendrons
Philodendrons are easily propagated by simple stem cuttings. A great plant to share with your friend when your Philodendron is fairly tall (since you’re cutting the top off basically).
Learn more:
- “How to propagate Philodendrons” by Better Homes & Gardens
- “How to propagate Philodendron Plants” by Gardening Know How
Rubber Plants
Rubber plants are propagated from stem cuttings. Wear gloves though because they have a sap that can be irritating to the skin.
Learn more:
- “How to Propagate Rubber Plants and get more plants for free” by Homes & Gardens
- “How to start a rubber tree plant” by Gardening Know How
Outdoor Plants
Most outdoor ground plants can be divided by division but some are also possible to propagate from cuttings. It’s best to look up your specific outdoor plant to find out what is best. Also keep in mind the time of year. If the flower is blooming, it’s not the best time to stress the plant out. Early spring and Fall are usually the ideal times to propagate.
Learn more:
- “20 Outdoor plants you can propagate from cuttings” by Bob Villa
- “Propagating Plants by Cuttings” by Missouri Botanical Gardens
- “How to Propagate plants by division” by Plant Propagation
- “How to propagate plants by division (VIDEO)” on youtube
How to prepare your propagations for sharing
When you’re bringing your propagated plants to a Free Little Plant Stand, it’s usually a good idea to put them in a small cup of water, a bag with a damp towel wrapped around the roots, or in a plastic nursery pot. They may be in the shelf for a few days so some soil or water is generally a good idea.
If you are propagating leaves, a zip lock baggie is good enough!
Be sure to label your propagation so the next person knows what it is and can look up how to care for it.