How Do I Use A Water Propagation Stand

Getting Started with the Hoyadendron Propagation Station

Gather your Materials

clean cutting instrument
- depending on the plant you may prefer scissors, a knife, or a razor blade
rubbing alcohol
- use this to sterilize your cutting instrument to minimize the risk of infection to your mother plant and cuttings
fresh water
Hoyadendron propagation stand
plant with healthy nodes

Step 1

Step 2

Cut yOur plant

Begin by identifying where you will cut the plant. A cutting requires a minimum of one node, but it is easier and quicker to grow if you include a node that has an existing leaf -- or even better two nodes with a leaf on each.

For the quickest growth of the new plant, take a top cutting. This is a cutting that includes the existing top growth point from the mother plant. Once rooted, growth will continue from this point. In a normal stem cutting, the plant must not only grow new roots, but activate an auxiliary growth bud. Once gown, both types of cuttings produce wonderful plants.

Sanitize your cutting instrument with the rubbing alcohol. You are creating a wound on the plant, and it is possible for the plant to get sick if this would is exposed to pathogens.

Cut in the internodal space between the nodes. If necessary, trim extra internodal space from the stem cutting -- but use caution to not trim the new node!

What is a node?

Our article on water propagation includes additional information on plant biology and nodes.

Interested in more science? Wikipedia's article on Plant Stems provides a great introduction to how stems function, and how plants grow.

WatCh It Grow

Place your cutting in one of the glass tubes from your propagation stand kit. If the stem of your cutting is small, you may be able to place several cuttings in each tube.

Fill the test tube with fresh water and place the stand in a location that gets bright indirect light. A sunny windowsill, a desk, or your bookshelf can be great choices.

Check the water level and top off as necessary. The water level will drop as water evaprorates or is absorbed by the plant. Normally I do not change the water -- many species of plant naturally produce hormones when cut that encourage rooting. By keeping the same water, these hormones will concentrate to promote root development and node activation.

If the water appears to develop mold or similar issue, rinse the cutting, clean the tube, and replace the water with fresh water.

step 3

Step 4

Transplant To Soil

When your cutting has developed sufficent roots, it's time to transpant to soil. Depending on the plant, the time of year, or light level, this can take anywhere from a week or two to over a month.

You want the roots to be established and healthy. Some good signs it's time are roots that are 1-2" in length, roots that have their own roots branching off, and signs that the new bud has activated and started to grow.

I prefer to transplant all of my cuttings to a quick draining aroid mix. Do not let the newly transplanted cutting dry out until it has had sufficient time to establish new roots in the soil.

What Kind of Soil Should I Use?

I transplant most of my tropical houseplants to my quick draining aroid mix. This soil is easy to make, harder to over water, and helps my plants thrive.