- Propagate from offshoots by cutting a baby plant from the mother plant’s stem. Place the rooted offshoot in well-draining soil and keep it moist for several weeks.
- Propagate with a leaf by cutting a sliver of the stem along with a healthy leaf. Place the cutting in water and plant in soil once the roots are 1-2 inches (2-5 cm) long.
- Propagate from a stem by cutting one about 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) long. Put the stem in water and plant in soil when the roots are 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) long.
Propagating from Offshoots
Look for a large offshoot growing from your main plant. One of the easiest ways to propagate a pilea is to plant the rooted offshoots that spring up around your mother plant. Look for an offshoot that’s about 2 to 3 inches (5-7 cm) tall with several leaves about 1 inch (2 cm) wide. Unlike the main, mother plant, offshoots have a pink or reddish stalk. Generally, spring is the best time to propagate a pilea. The longer days full of sunlight help your mother plant grow lots of strong, healthy offshoots.
Cut the offshoot from the mother plant with a knife. Look for the stem in the soil that connects it to the mother plant. Take a clean, sharp knife and cut into the soil between the offshoot and the plant. Once you’ve cut the connecting stem, carefully wiggle the offshoot out of the soil so its roots stay intact. Don’t cut much deeper than 1 inch (2 cm) into the soil. Cutting deeper can hurt the main plant’s root system. Be careful not to catch any other stems with the knife when you cut the offshoot from the mother plant. While messier, it’s helpful to take the mother plant out of its pot to better see the connecting stem and the offshoot’s roots.
Plant the baby offshoot in well-draining soil. Fill a small pot with well-draining potting soil. Then, poke a hole in the soil with your finger. Shake off any loose dirt from the offshoot’s roots, then gently place it inside the hole. If the offshoot you chose doesn’t have any roots, don’t worry! Just place it in a glass of water, removing any leaves that rest in the water. After a couple weeks, it’ll start growing roots. Once they’re about 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) long, pot the offshoot in soil. When choosing a pot for your plant, make sure it has drainage holes at the bottom.
Place your offshoot in bright, indirect light and water it thoroughly. To care for your new pilea plant, set in a warm, sunny area in your home that receives a lot of indirect light. For the first couple of weeks, water it frequently so its soil stays nice and moist. Once your baby pilea is established after several weeks, water your plant when the top 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) of soil are dry. You’ll know your pilea is established because it’ll start sprouting new leaves!
Propagating with Leaf Cuttings
Cut into your pilea’s stem to take off a healthy leaf. Find a leaf on your plant that’s about 5 to 10 inches (12-25 cm) long. Using a clean, sharp knife, carefully cut into your plant’s stem at the base of the leaf stalk. Don’t cut deep into the stem, just take away a thin layer to remove the leaf from the plant. To successfully propagate pilea from a leaf, a bit of the stem has to be attached to the leaf stalk. However, cutting too much of the stem off can damage the main plant.
Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone. While this step is optional, it'll help your pilea root more easily. Simply coat the cut part of the stem attached to your leaf in rooting hormone. The hormone will encourage new root growth on your cutting. With rooting hormone, your leaf cutting may sprout roots in as little as 2 weeks, though it could take as long as 2 months.
Place the leaf cutting in a clear glass of water. Find a small, narrow glass that lets your pilea leaf cutting stand upright. Pop your cutting inside and fill the glass with water so the bottom half of the cutting is submerged.
Set the cutting in front of a sunny window to grow roots. Pileas need lots of warm, indirect light to grow big and strong. Change its water every 3 to 5 days and enjoy watching it grow roots over the next 2 to 4 weeks!
Pot your cutting once its roots are 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) long. After about 2 months, your leaf cutting’s roots should be nice and long. To pot your plant, fill a small planter full of well-draining soil. Poke a hole in the soil with your finger and place your cutting inside, covering just the base of the stalk with soil. It’s common for baby plants to sprout at the base of your leaf cutting when it's growing in the water. If you have any babies, plant them above the soil. Once baby pileas start sprouting at the base of your cutting, snip off the original leaf stalk.
Set your baby pilea in a sunny location and keep its soil moist. Put your new pilea plant back in its warm, sunny location to grow. For the first few weeks, water it frequently so the soil stays moist. To tell if the soil is dry, just stick your finger about 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) deep into the pot. Once your pilea is established and growing leaves, cut back to watering it about once a week, or when the soil is dry.
Propagating with Stem Cuttings
Take a stem cutting from your plant that’s 3 to 4 inches (7-10 cm) long. This propagation method is great if you have a long, leggy pilea plant that you want to cut back. Simply find a healthy section of stem at the top of your plant with several healthy leaves. Then, use sharp, clean scissors or cutting shears to cut off the stem.
Coat the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone. Although it's optional, rooting hormone helps cuttings root more easily. After taking your cutting, dip the end of the stem in the hormone. Rooting hormone usually takes at least 2 weeks to work but could take as long as 2 months.
Fill a glass of water and set your stem cutting inside. Choose a clear cup, vase, or jar that lets your stem cutting stand upright inside. Just fill the glass with water so the bottom half of the cutting is resting in the water. If any leaves are submerged, trim them off the stem. It usually takes longer, but you can propagate your stem cutting in soil if you prefer. First, coat the bottom of the cutting with a rooting hormone. Then, fill a small pot with a well-draining soil mix and place your cutting inside. Keep the soil moist and you’re good to go!
Place your stem cutting in bright, indirect light to grow roots. Pileas love warm, indirect light. Find a place in your home that gets lots of light and set your cutting there. Now you get to watch your pilea cutting grow little roots over the next 1 to 2 weeks! Just change its water every 3 to 5 days, or once the water gets cloudy.
Plant your cutting once its roots are about 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) long. Pilea stem cuttings grow roots quickly, so after about 2 weeks, yours should have lots of healthy roots. Get some well-draining potting soil and fill a small planting pot with it. Use your finger to poke a hole into the soil and gently place the cutting inside. Simply water it well and place it in a sunny location to continue to grow!
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