What do you do when your house plants grow too big? The usual solution is to divide the plant into two or more new plants and repot in separate pots or give one away. Plant divisions are usually made either at the base of the plant or a cutting is removed and rooted from the top of the plant.
An example of dividing at the base and the easiest plant to work with is the Sansevieria also known as the snake plant and its shorter relative the bird’s nest Sansevieria. Both versions of the Sansevieria may be divided by slicing between growing sections of the plant with a kitchen knife. The separated sections may be planted in new pots immediately, but the chance of success is much better if the cut off stems are allowed to dry and form a callus for 24-48 hours before planting.
Other plants such as the spider plant make propagation even easier. Spider plants grow new plants on the ends of existing stems. These little plants may be cut off and planted. This works best when the baby plant is cut off with a short section of stem which is buried in the soil. This short section of stem will hold the plant in place until it grows new roots. Unfolded paper clips may also be used to keep the plant base in contact with the soil until roots have formed.
Succulent plants like the Kalanchoe are not divided at the base but may be propagated by cutting short sections off of a stem and the cutting inserted in potting soil after being allowed to dry several hours first. This same method may be used for any of the cacti that are called Thanksgiving or Christmas varieties. Sansevieria may also propagated by cutting sections of stems and inserting them vertically in potting soil. Make sure that the leaf section is planted in the same direction as it grew. The part of the stem cutting that was closest to the soil when growing as part of the parent plant is the part that is planted in a new pot. Make sure that the stem cutting is not inadvertently reversed or planted up side down from the way it was originally growing. Many plants of this type grow best with a pot of soil and a top layer of grit or sand like material. The very bottom of the stem cutting is planted touching the soil and the sand or grit is used only to support the rest of the cutting and to keep it vertical until roots are formed. This also reduces the possibility of the cutting rotting before taking root and growing.
African Violets are often duplicated by rooting leaves in a pot of soil covered with a clear plastic bag to create a one plant size greenhouse. African Violets may also develop multiple crowns which are really separate plants growing next to each other in a single pot. These crowns may be separated by removing the plant from the pot and then pulling the crowns apart or separating them with a knife. Dust the exposed sections with a fungicide power to keep them from becoming infected. Each of these smaller crowns may be planted in its own pot.
Rooting hormone which is a chemical that aids in root development is a useful aid in growing new plants. It is usually available where gardening supplies are sold and since only a small amount is used for dusting each stem, a single bottle will last a long time. Most house plant reference books contain additional directions for dividing specific plant species.
