How to propagate houseplants, according to a plant pro

When Target first collaborated with a plant stylist, they turned to Hilton Carter to create a collection of planters and watering cans. The latest collection landed this spring.

In 2023, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network put Carter on camera to share houseplant survival tips.

His career as a plant stylist and author started with a small piece snipped from a golden pothos. How exciting, he thought, to watch roots emerge and the baby plant grow in soil.

Carter’s fifth book, “The Propagation Handbook: A Guide to Propagating Houseplants,” goes back to the wonder that comes from making more plants. The work propagating plants has been transformative for Carter personally and professionally. It’s a bonus to share the plants he’s nurtured because they mean much more than any found at a store.

“When you give someone a cutting from a plant that you love, that you put sweat equity into, that you’ve been caring for, for such a long time, that cutting means so much more to them,” he said at an April 14 talk at Longwood Gardens. “And it’s more than likely they’ll spend more time caring for it.”

Sharing also means more space to watch the magic again.

Carter’s talk, the first in his book tour, comes at peak time to propagate plants. A healthy mother plant won’t die after being chopped during the active growing season. Instead, it will push out new grow. Read on for a few of the tips the Baltimore artist shared to a full house of plant parents.

Tools

There are a lot of propagation accessories on the market, including Hilton’s own four-vessel live edge cradle ($80). But propagation doesn’t have to be expensive. The basic tools include a pair of sharp shears or a sharp blade and a watering can. Repurposed clear glass containers like wine bottles allow you to see the roots and the water quality. Plastic nursery pots leftover from a trip to the garden center are a good step up when transitioning to soil.

Stem cuttings

There are several ways to propagate plants. Stem cuttings are an easy way to start. Cut a vining plant below a node, the point where a leaf grows from the stem, and place the cutting in a propagation vessel. Good candidates for this method include pothos, philodendron, hoya, rex begonia vine and monstera.

Tip cuttings

Tip cuttings are good for non-vining plants, like cacti and succulents, and tree-like plants, such as ZZ plants and ficus. Take a stem or branch, preferably with new growth, and cut at a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area exposed to water.

Developing roots

Plant cuttings can be propagated in water, soil and sphagnum moss. Water propagation might take the longest for roots to grow but Carter still prefers that for most plants “to see the joy of those roots coming out of that cut.” Also, a wide range of glass vessels can be styled in more ways than plant pots. Change the water weekly.

Moving to soil

When transitioning a rooted cutting into soil, people often pick the wrong size pot. Choose a pot that fits the roots, not the foliage above the ground, Carter says. As the plant transitions away from water to soil, it will need frequent watering.

When to propagate

The best time to propagate houseplants starts in spring when plants are actively growing as well as late winter as plants prepare to grow. That optimal window ends around August if your focus is encouraging growth in the mother plant, Carter says. However, some plants, especially vining plants can be propagated any time.

A living wall made for sharing

Carter wanted a living wall in a past apartment but that didn’t work in a rental. Instead, he created wooden cradles with space to nestle test tubes. He hung the small cradles like pictures for a lush mosaic with minimum wall damage. Carter saved nursery pots and used them to send baby plants home with friends, leaving more space for more cuttings.

Plant cutting bouquet

Floral arrangements are beautiful but don’t last a long time. Carter showed a photo of a longer-lasting display of cuttings: a monstera branch, accented with polka dot begonia, watermelon peperomia, painted lady philodendron and pothos. Each plant in this living bouquet will grow roots. Pot them, watch them grow and eventually it will be time to cut and start over again.

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