Cuttings and propagation of aglaonema plants: Aglaonema is a leafy plant with attractive and stunning leaves. You can reproduce all types of aglaonema varieties easily at home in different ways, the most convenient and practical method to propagate Aglaonema is dividing the plant and cuttings, but if you have patience and time, you can also propagate Aglaonema through seeds. Aglaonema is a die hard and resistant plant with very simple keeping conditions, which we thoroughly reviewed in a separate article, Care for Aglaonema, which I suggest you read. In addition, this plant is a very suitable option for beginners. If you want to reproduce this beautiful plant at home without any problems, stay with us until the end of the article.
Very important point: Remember that Aglaonema toxic to cats and some people who might be allergic. Be sure to use gloves while propagation of aglaonema because if the plant’s sap comes into contact with sensitive skin, it will cause skin problems. Also, contact of the plant sap with the mouth or eating it will cause burning of the lips and mouth and then the throat. Another name of aglaonema is a Chinese green plant that is native to East Asia.
How to Propagate Aglaonema ?
Perhaps the first question in your mind about propagation of aglaonema is, when should you propagate aglaonema? In answer to this question, the best season to propagate Aglaonema is early spring, but if you provide greenhouse conditions for the plant at home, you can propagate aglaonema in any season. You can propagate the aglaonema plant by cuttings, dividing the plant and using seeds, which we will explain each method below.
1. Propagation of aglaonema by dividing the plant
One of the easiest and fastest methods to propagate Aglaonema, is plant dividing. The best time to use this method is spring to mid-summer or when you plan to change the plant pot. To do this, remove the plant from the pot, then using a sharp and sterilized knife, separate the side buds of the plant that have more than 2 leaves from the mother plant (the buds must have roots). Then plant the sprouts in a new pot filled with light soil (soil mixture can be peat moss + perlite + compost).
Note that you should not do this for too long because the roots of the plant will get dried, and this will cause more problems and stress for the plant.
For rooting and sprouting to happen faster and your plant to be less stressed, cover the new pot with clear plastic bag and remove the it once in a while to let the air flow in the pot. Also, do the first two watering using amino acids. The best temperature for keeping buds is around 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit and filtered sunlight.
2. Aglaonema cutting and rooting them
for propagating aglaonema from stem cuttings , you should choose relatively young leaves (stems). The characteristics of the cuttings should be as follows: the selected cuttings should have at least 3-4 leaves, and the cuttings should have at least 3 or 4 branches. make sure to use a sharp and sterilized cutter or knife to cut the cuttings. The cutting shape of cuttings should be oblique. If the cut cutting has more leaves (more than 3-4), gently remove the lower leaves from the cutting so that the plant’s energy is used for rooting.
You can use the rooting hormone to increase the success rate of cuttings. Not using rooting hormone is not a problem in the rooting process of the cuttings. Instead of rooting hormones, you can use baby powder or cinnamon. It is enough to put the cut place of the cuttings in cinnamon powder or baby powder and then go through the following steps. After this step, if you put the cuttings in a place with low light for 24 hours so that the cutting area closes, the rooting success rate will increase. After taking the cuttings, you can root the cuttings in two ways. We will explain both methods in the following.
Rooting of aglaonema cuttings in the soil
Aglaonema propagation in soil required plant to have root, so for rooting the cuttings in the soil, prepare a small pot with a diameter of at least 6 inch and then make a few holes in the bottom (perforating the pot will increase the drainage, and the percentage of rotting of the cuttings will decrease). Then pour several pebbles on the bottom of the pot and fill it with light soil (you can use a combination of perlite and peat moss), then place the cuttings in the soil. Note that at least one-third of the cuttings should be buried in the soil, then water the pot. If you want the rooting done very soon, you can use clear plastic and cover the bed with it. Of course, remove the plastic bag for 1-2 hours each day so that air flows in the pot and your pot does not suffer from fungal diseases.
Indirect and filtered light with a temperature of about 68 degrees Fahrenheit can be the best conditions for keeping cuttings. Be sure to keep the pot moist until the rooting process is done. The rooting process will last about 36 days, and after that, you can plant each cutting in a pot with suitable soil.
Rooting aglaonema in water
Prepare a glass container and wash it with dishwashing liquid. Place the cuttings in the container. Then, fill the container with cooled boiled water or filtered water until a tiny part of the cuttings sinks into the water. Change the water in the pot every few days so that the rooting process is done well. But I recommend the method of rooting in the soil because strong roots will be obtained, and after transferring to the pot, it will adapt to the new environment much faster.
3. How to propagate Aglaonema from seeds ?
The best time to plant aglaonema seeds is late spring. After the flowering period, the plant produces red fruits with seeds inside. By planting these seeds, you can have new aglaonema. Of course, it is recommended that if you do not need these seeds, you must separate the flowers from the plant because they weaken the plant.
We suggest you buy the seeds of this plant from reputable stores, prepare a pot with a diameter of at least 15 cm, and then fill it with soil so that 5 cm above the pot is empty. Then put the seeds in the soil and then fill the seeds with compost and soil for houseplants. Now, after covering the seeds, water them using a sprinkler.
To speed up the seed’s germination, it is better to cover the pot with transparent plastic bag and make several holes on the plastic bag to allow air circulation. The suitable temperature for keeping planted seeds is about 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. How is propagating Aglaonema in water?
The best time to propagate aglaonema is early spring, but if you can create suitable greenhouse conditions at home, you can propagate this beautiful plant at any other time.
- Cut the healthy stems with a sharp and disinfected knife.
- The length of these stems should be 1 to 2 inch
- Place the separated aglaonema stems in a glass container of water (use boiled and cooled water without salts), and make sure that the water is at the same temperature as the environment
- Change the water in the container once in a while, so the plant grows better and does not get fungus
- This propagation method continues until the emergence of roots.
- After the roots grow to about 7 cm, you can transfer the cutting to light soil.
This method is not recommended because it causes not have strong roots, but it is an easy method to propagate aglaonema.
Note that to have strong roots, you can first pour perlite into the container, put the cut stem inside it, and pour perlite around the cutting again. Then fill the container with cool boiled water at the same temperature as the environment. In this method, due to the presence of perlite, you will have stronger roots than if you only place the cutting in empty water.
What are the characteristics of the aglaonema plant?
The Aglaonema plant is one of the houseplants with a beautiful appearance and stunning and attractive leaves with lance-shaped and square leaves that are about 10 inch long and about 5 inch wide. The color of the leaves of this plant is different due to the diversity of the plant. This plant can flower and bear fruit if it has suitable growing conditions.
Aglaonema has white flowers with red fruits and appears in summer. Suppose you want the plant to grow well; in that case, it is better to pick it one day after the flower appears. we have talked about aglaonema bloom in a separate and complete article, which I suggest you read. If you want to use the beauty of its flowers or fruit seeds for propagation through seeds; In that case, it is better to use special fertilizers for apartment flowers and calcium nitrate fertilizer for the plant.
What are the general conditions for keeping the aglaonema plant?
The aglaonema plant does not need difficult conditions for keeping because it is an apartment plant, and the humidity and air temperature of the house are enough for its growth. To provide better conditions for it, you can build an island and in the growing season of the plant, which is spring and summer, add reinforcing fertilizers to the plant’s soil to provide good growing conditions for the growth of aglaonema. Also, the soil used for this plant must have high drainage so that the roots of the plant do not get eroded due to the accumulation of water. Also, for watering it, pay attention that the soil surface has dried about 1 inch before the next watering.
In a separate article, we discussed problems such as aglaonema leaves drooping, aglaonema leaves turning yellow, and how to save a dying aglaonema which you should read. If you have any questions or problems regarding maintaining houseplants, planting and propagating aglaonema, you can ask your questions in the comment section. If you have experience propagating aglaonema, we will be happy to write to you.
When is the best time to propagate aglaonema
You can do this at home in any season by observing the conditions of plant propagation. The best time to propagate aglaonema is during the spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing.
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Hi there, Might I export your own photograph and use it on my own webpage?
Hello
Yes, no problem
Thank you, it was a good tutorial, I just had one question, How long does it take for aglaonema cuttings to root?
It completely depends on the conditions you provide for your plant, Aglaonema cuttings usually take 4-6 weeks to develop roots when propagated in water or soil.
I found the answer to my questions in this article, I also have a question, Can I use rooting hormone when propagating aglaonema?
If you don’t use it, there won’t be any problem with the propagation of your plant, but it is better to use it to increase the success rate, using a rooting hormone can help speed up the rooting process when propagating aglaonema.
Can you help me by answering this question? How often should I water newly propagated aglaonema?
Water newly propagated aglaonema sparingly to avoid overwatering, typically once every 1-2 weeks.
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My plant has turned yellow due to watering, How often should I water my Aglaonema if its leaves are turning yellow?
The best way to determine the correct watering time is to allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings, and ensure the pot has good drainage.