13 plants you can easily propagate in water, and my top tips for healthy plants

I have found that water propagation is the easiest method of propagation for me, because I have often forgotten them and still have successful cuttings! I end up with so many lovely plants with this simple method.

What is water propagation?

Water propagation is simply placing a cutting in water and waiting for the roots to grow. Other methods of propagation include placing cuttings in soil (dipped in rooting hormones), layering, grafting, and budding.

 

Kratky hydroponic method

Can you keep plants in water forever?

Plants need light, nutrients, and a growing medium to thrive. Simply putting the plants in just water is not a good idea because of the lack of nutrients. To grow plants hydroponically you will need to add liquid nutrients to your water.

How to keep your plants healthy in water:

Rot is the biggest problem I face when keeping plants in water. To avoid this, I change the water regularly and clean the bottle I keep the plants in.

Propagating rosemary cuttings in water

What plants can I propagate in water?

• Succulents - Jade plant, donkey tail succulent, string of pearls
• Houseplants - begonia, monstera, pothos, snake plant, spider plant
• Herbs - rosemary, basil, mint, lavender, sage

I’m sure you can propagate plenty of other plants in water, you just need to experiment! I’ve seen people propagate petunias, geraniums, cannabis plants, hydrangeas and even some trees.

Common problems with water propagation:

The most common problem I have seen is trouble when transplanting your cuttings. The roots grown here are much weaker than roots in soil, so they are prone to breaking off when planting. To avoid this, wait until there are plenty of roots in the water before transplanting, use a light potting mix, and try not to water your plants too much.

I have also seen that you can make a ‘slurry’  when you plan to transplant your cuttings. Add a spoon of soil in the water over a few days to help get the roots used to growing in soil!

So you like to grow cuttings in water? Or do you have a preferred method? Let me know.

Take a look at these beautiful vases that you can uses for your propagation

Set of 3 Balcombe Ornaments £60 | Large Lilac Scalloped Vase £7 | Concave Vase £6

Floral Painted Ceramic Vase £19.50 | Glass Ribbed Vase £12.50 | Blue Demijohn Vase £31.20 | Spotted Glass Vase £25.30

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