Grow and multiply: How to reproduce your plants (2024)

Surely you have a beautiful plant that has grown to unsuspected levels thanks to your care and pampering (or to its innate resistance, because there are almost immortal plants). It is great and you want to share its beauty or you need copies of it, because you never have enough. You feel it's the ideal time to reproduce it.

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Propagating a plant is a way of creating new plants from an adult plant you already have. It is a wonderful and fun process that will allow you to get to know them better, understand their processes, watch them grow, create your own mini-jungle or share them with your friends. This may seem a bit complicated, but it is a process that you can tackle with the information on how plants reproduce and the right technique. It will take some time, but with practice you will be able to propagate all your plants successfully.

how do plants reproduce?

The types of plant reproduction depend on the characteristics of the species.

Flowering and seed-producing plants reproduce sexually. These plants produce two gametophytes, female and male, which are inside the flower structure. For reproduction to occur, pollen from a female and a male gametophyte flower must come into contact with each other. This is known as pollination and is done by bees, butterflies, flies, hummingbirds and others.

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There is another type of plant, known as non-vascular, which is more primitive. They do not have flowers, do not produce seeds and therefore their reproduction does not fall into the typical classification. These are plants that reproduce by spores. This is how ferns and mosses reproduce.

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But it's not all about bees and flowers, if you're wondering how non-flowering plants reproduce, the answer is simple: through asexual reproduction. This occurs in two ways, vegetatively and by apomixis. Asexual reproduction of plants by apomixis occurs in certain species that do not require pollination in order to produce seeds. Examples of these are dandelions.

In vegetative reproduction, roots are used. This is used in plants such as lilies, garlic, potatoes and ginger. Another form of vegetative asexual propagation, which is the one we are interested in, is by means of plant parts which, when stimulated in the right way, can develop roots and become a new plant. An interesting fact: by propagating your plants in this way you will be creating clones, exact copies of the mother plant.

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How to propagate your plants at home

The first step is to effectively identify the type of plant you wish to propagate and from this decide on the appropriate method. This is essential, as there are plants that only reproduce by seed, others by bulbs and others, such as succulents, that require only a healthy leaf and a bit of luck.

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• Plants that reproduce by cuttings

Plants in the Araceae family reproduce very well by cuttings in water. Some of these plants are potos, philodendron, Adam's rib, anthuriums and zamioculcas. This is because the ancestors of these hardy plants lived in swamps, so they are very well adapted to these conditions. These are beginner plant species that are easy to propagate and care for. It is also possible to place olive cuttings in water for propagation.

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How to do it:

You need a sharp gardening knife or scissors; a glass container and water. Start by checking your plant thoroughly, paying attention to the stems. Look for a mature, good-looking one. In the joints of the leaves and stems you might find a small brown or white root. Cut a little below this incipient root. Cut off stems of about 5 cm, which divide into two or three twigs. The technique of how to plant olive trees by cuttings is a little different, as you have to choose semi-woody stems. This also applies to lemon dracaena.

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Place them in water, without covering them completely. Leave them in a place where they receive indirect light and add water at room temperature when the water level drops. You should wait several weeks until you see long roots and new leaves, which will be the indication that you can plant it in the ground.

• Plants that reproduce by leaves

Herbaceous plants can reproduce with a single leaf or piece of leaf. Sanservieria or mother-in-law's tongue is perfect for this technique. Many succulent species can also be propagated very easily using their leaves.

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How to do it

You need a very clean, sharp gardening knife or scissors and a pot of fresh, moist substrate. Select a healthy leaf, in perfect condition, that looks vigorous. In the case of mother-in-law's tongue, you should cut off about 5 cm of the leaf. You can also cut the whole leaf and cut it into 5cm sections. You should mark the bottom of each section, as this is the part that will go into the soil.

For succulents you will not need a knife or scissors. Select the healthy leaf, grasp it between your thumb and forefinger and twist gently. The leaf will come off gently, without breaking or hurting the mother plant. In fact, you can use the leaves that fall off when you transplant or move it. You should place the cut part in the substrate. You can also stimulate root growth with water in a shallow container.

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• Plants that reproduce by division

There are plants, such as those in the Calathea family, which grow on stems that join together underground in rhizomes. To propagate them, simply separate the roots of the plants and place each stem in separate pots, where it will begin to develop new stems.

How to do it

Place newspaper or something to protect the surface, as you will be watering some of the soil. Take the mother plant out of its pot, shake the soil well and start dividing the stems with their roots. If they are close together, you can cut them with a knife or scissors, but it is usually enough to massage them a little. Plant each section in a pot with moist soil.

• Plants that reproduce by suckers

There are plant species that reproduce by means of suckers that sprout from the base stem of the plant. Examples of this are succulents such as echeveria, Brazil stem, aloe, ribbons, some bromeliads and dwarf plantain.

How to do it

Carefully check the base of your plant. Let the seedling grow a little, much better if you already see small roots. Pick it up with your fingers, carefully detach it and place it in a pot with fresh, moist substrate.