5 Green Plants That Root From a Single Cutting - Even Beginners Can Become Plant Experts

I keep hearing friends complain that the potted plants they buy turn yellow and rot at the roots within two months, costing a lot of money with no sense of achievement. Actually, there is no need to go to all that trouble - some green plants are practically"cutting champions" that will sprout roots and leaves just by sticking a branch in soil and watering it. I have tested them myself and they are easy to grow!

Kalanchoe:is definitely the"elementary school homework of the cutting world". No need to pick a thick branch - just find a young shoot with two or three leaves at the tip, cut it off, pull off the leaves at the bottom, and let it dry for half a day so the wound dries a little. Then find a small flower pot, fill it half with nutrient soil and half with garden soil, insert the branch 2 cm deep into the soil, water it thoroughly once, and place it by the window with some indirect light. In about a week, little white roots will appear; once new leaves grow, give it a little compound fertilizer, and by the end of the year it will bloom into little lanterns - red and pink, very festive. The key is that one cutting session can yield several pots, enough to give to friends.

Snake Plant:This thing is so tough that even"abuse" cannot kill it. If you have a large snake plant at home, just cut a small section of about 10 cm from a leaf, and remember you must tell top from bottom - insert the end that originally faced up still facing up, do not put it in upside down! You can dip the cut end in carbendazim, or not; find a shallow pot filled with sand or a sand-soil mix, insert the leaf section one third of the way in, and water lightly, not too thoroughly. After that, just leave it alone. In about 20 days, small shoots will emerge from the bottom; when the shoots reach 5 cm tall, divide and transplant them, and you have a new pot. What is more, snake plants are extremely shade-tolerant - placed in the living room without water for half a year, they still will not die.

Anthurium:Some people may think anthuriums are delicate, but they are actually easy to propagate by cutting too. Find a fairly sturdy side branch; it is best if it has some aerial roots when cut, but it does not matter if it does not - keep 3-4 leaves and make a slanted cut at the bottom. Use leaf mold mixed with perlite as the medium; do not insert too deep, just enough for the leaves to stand upright, water thoroughly, then cover with a plastic bag to retain moisture, opening it for half an hour of air every day. In about 15 days, new roots will grow; once new leaves emerge, remove the plastic bag and water normally. Anthurium flowers look like little candles and are especially eye-catching on a balcony. What is more, cuttings grow even faster than bought seedlings.

Bougainvillea:Bougainvillea is practically a"cutting maniac"; especially for friends in the south, even a branch cut from the roadside will root. Choose a semi-lignified branch from the current year, about 15 cm long, cut off all the bottom leaves, keep 2 leaves at the top, and cut each leaf in half to reduce water evaporation. Find a disposable cup, poke a few holes in the bottom, fill it with nutrient soil, insert the branch, water thoroughly, and place it in a ventilated spot away from direct sun. In about 10 days it will root; when the roots are visible against the cup wall, transplant it into a flower pot. Bougainvillea loves light - give it plenty of sun and water, and it can bloom several times a year, red and purple covering the balcony, quite spectacular.

Plumbago:Summer is the best time to grow it; its flowers look like little snowflakes, cool and beautiful. When cutting plumbago branches, choose younger ones - branches that are too old root slowly. Cut about 10 cm, make a slanted cut at the bottom, and remove the lower leaves. Use peat soil mixed with river sand as the medium, insert the cutting, water thoroughly, place it in partial shade, and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. In about 12 days it will root; after new leaves grow, move it to a sunny spot, and occasionally give a little fertilizer when watering. Plumbago grows very fast and blooms in summer one flush after another; the blue flower clusters are super soothing, and the cutting success rate is almost 100 percent, so even beginners can succeed on the first try.

These5kinds of green plants can be propagated by casually cutting a branch, with almost zero failure, and within a month or two of growing them you can see new leaves and new roots, a full sense of achievement. Compared with buying ready-made potted plants, growing your own cuttings not only saves money, but also lets you experience the process from branch to bloom. Friends who are interested should give it a try right away.