You can propagate houseplants at any time of year. This being said, the best time to do it is during their growing season – which is typically spring-summer. They will grow more slowly during the dormant months of autumn-winter.
Cuttings from many annual plants will keep over winter, sprout roots, and be ready for planting in spring. You may place them in pots or cups without drainage filled with moist perlite or vermiculite. Locate them at first in bright light, away from the sun. Move later to an area where they receive morning sun.
Trailing philodendron can be propagated nearly any time of year, except for winter which is when the roots will grow exceptionally slow.
Herbaceous cuttings can be taken throughout the growing season (spring to late fall), while softwood cuttings should be taken in spring or early summer. Cuttings can be taken as long as the parent plant is healthy and in active growth.
Place the cutting in moist vermiculite, perlite or a well-drained potting mix. Set in a bright location out of direct light. Loosely cover with an open plastic bag to increase the humidity around your cutting. Water often enough to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
It is even easier to propagate pothos by cuttings. The best time to do this is in the spring, when the days are longer and warmer as the growing conditions are ideal. But you can take cuttings at any time of the year. Choose a shoot that has already grown aerial roots and cut it with a sharp knife.
Preparing cuttings
The plant material should be semi-mature, i.e. semi-hardwood. The best time, therefore, to take cuttings is late spring or early summer. Cuttings taken at other times will often root but may take much longer, although there are many exceptions.
Plant patents
Translation: you cannot divide that overgrown perennial, root cuttings, or layer branches if the plant is protected by a plant patent. Basically, the only legal way to reproduce a plant with this type of patent is by seed.
Propagating plants in winter does take a bit longer than in the summer, two to four months for roots to develop, but it's a great way to get free plants from winter prunings. Providing bottom heat will speed things up a bit, but isn't necessary.
Media is usually kept at 72-77° F while air temperature is maintained at 68-73° F. If bottom heat is not used, air temperature should be maintained between 77 and 80° F. Maintaining air temperatures lower than medium temperatures retards shoot growth while promoting root development. Excessive heat can damage cuttings.
Finally, you may be wondering whether you have to pot your Philodendron cutting. If you're attached to your windowsill propagation, you can keep it in water indefinitely, but it won't grow as well as a plant in soil.
It will take about two months for the root system to develop. Transplant your Philodendron cutting - Once you have a strong root system, it's time to plant your cutting in a pot. Prepare a pot with well-draining soil and leave about an inch or two of space from where you want the final soil level.
Especially with cuttings, it's often desirable to have a cooler (5 to 10° F) air temperature than root tempera- ture, which allows the roots to grow more quickly than the shoots.
Ideally, the temperature of the medium should be maintained slightly higher (5°F-8°F) than the air so that callus and root growth occur faster than shoot growth. To accomplish this, bottom heat- ing is required. Desirable propaga- tion temperatures are 73°F-77°F for the medium and 68°F-73°F for the air.
Cuttings will root more quickly and reliably in warm rooting mix. Keep your cuttings between 65°F and 75°F, avoiding excessive heat. If your area is too cold, consider a heating mat or cable especially designed for this purpose.
Some plants like papaya, marigold, chilli, capsicum, tomato, etc., cannot be propagated by asexual method.
You can propagate houseplants at any time of year. This being said, the best time to do it is during their growing season – which is typically spring-summer. They will grow more slowly during the dormant months of autumn-winter.
Though much of the material would be thrown out, it is technically the property of the store or business where found. Also, ethical proplifting excludes the practice of removing leaves from living plants as such unauthorized removal is theft.
For your first time propagating a plant, it's best to choose a healthy, hardy, easy-to-grow plant with standard, developed roots that you've had for a while. This ensures that its roots are established in its pot and that the parent plant will have no adverse effects from being propagated.
Technically, you can transfer your cuttings to soil at any time. In fact, you can actually propagate directly into soil, however, it's much harder to do within your home. When you propagate in soil, you have to keep a good balance of soil moisture, air flow, and humidity.
Warm growing medium temperatures accelerate cell division which leads to faster callusing, root initial development and subsequent root growth. It also speeds up the dry-down rate of the growing medium, which also helps encourage better rooting. The best way to warm the growing medium is through bottom heat.
Some plants will root in water, but cuttings will develop a better root system when rooted in a soil-less potting mix. Sand or perlite can also be used, especially for cuttings that need good drainage and may rot if kept too wet.