Did you recently attend an event where you were taught how to propagate a houseplant by Chadwick Arboretum?
Read on for follow-up care.
Pothos, Philodendrons and Spider Plants
Cutting and Care
In order to propagate, you’ll need some clean, sharp scissors and a small jar to develop your cutting. Find a stem a few inches long with some leaves on it, and cut right beneath a root node at your desired length. If there are any leaves on your cutting that will be submerged in water, make sure to cut them off (they’ll just make the water dirty). Make sure to keep your jar upright in an area that is sunny, like in a windowsill. Monitor the root growth over the next three or four weeks, and replace the water if it gets dirty or cloudy. After a few weeks, your pothos cutting should start to develop roots. In order to plant, you’ll want the roots two to three inches long, so keep the stem in clean water until your roots are ready for planting.
Planting Your Cuttings
When the pothos has developed thick, white roots that are a few inches long, it is ready to be planted. Be sure to use a pot with draining holes to prevent your new plant from getting root rot, and some well-draining soil. Keep your new plant in an area that has some sun, and water about once a week. When watering, make sure that you saturate the soil, but let any extra water run out of the drain holes at the bottom of the pot to avoid over watering. These plants will grow over the edges of your pot, so when the stems get too long, you can propagate your plant again, and even give the cuttings out as gifts!
For extra tips and information, check out these websites!
Pothos
- 7 Proven Steps to Root a Pothos Cutting (2023) (houseplantauthority.com)
- How to Propagate Pothos Plants (thespruce.com)
- The easiest way to propagate Pothos plants from cuttings! - keep your plants alive
Philodendron
Spider Plants
- VIDEO: Propagating Spider Plants (Illinois Extension)
- VIDEO: Spider Plant Propagation Water method (Let's Grow)
- How to Propagate a spider plant - two easy methods to try (Homes and Gardens)
Wexner Medical Center Green Team Native Plant, Shrub and Tree Giveaway
Planting Native Perennials Instructions
(For tree planting instructions, visit our webpage here)
If you recently received a free native perennial plant from a plant giveaway, you might be asking yourself what to do with it next. Of course, you know you need to plant and water it, but a single plant can quickly turn into a new garden project!
The very first place to start is to determine if your new plant requires full sun, partial sun, or full shade. A list of the plants that were handed out during the Native Plant Giveaway is listed below, along with links that contain important growing information about each one, including light requirements, the amount of water they prefer, and how big they get. Many of the plants handed out at this event prefer full sun and well-drained soil.
Then, determine where in your yard would be suitable for the requirements of the plant. If you do not have an existing garden bed suitable for the plant, you will need these instructions on preparing a perennial garden by Clemson University.
When planting, placing the plant in a hole at the same depth as when it was in the container is important. If the plant is root-bound, make sure you free the root system by gently pulling it apart. Once the backfill soil is added, water the plant thoroughly. Additional water may be needed during the growing season until plants are well established. A two inch mulch layer of shredded leaves, shredded bark, or compost will help conserve water.
A special thank you to Natives in Harmony for the native perennial plants and Alpha Nurseries for the shrubs and trees.
List of Plants and Growing Information
Intersted in more resources? Check out this amazing collection of materials on the Native Plants for Pollinators website from the OSU Bee Lab.