Hey all! I want to propagate from my Chinese Evergreen and have no idea what’s best. I’m new to propagating in general and tried googling. just got a lot of really conflicting information. I love this parent plant and don’t want to damage her…I’m guessing that I only have one shot at a propagation at her current size. Thanks!!!
by Defiant_Tour
1 Comment
Does this pot have drainage? The plant looks a bit stressed, as it shouldn’t have lost this much foliage already. Only water once 1/2 of the soil is dry. It also looks like it could be a dark space. Is it many feet from a window? I’d try to figure out those issues before pursuing propagation.
To prop this, you’re going to have to completely behead the stems. Aglaonemas’ petioles are so tightly placed that you always have a good amount of casualties. As a result, in order to get enough stem to prop, you’ll end up losing those bottom leaves no matter what, so you might as well take the whole top portion.
There is advice online about water propping these, but I find they have far better success being soil propagated. Dip the stems in rooting hormone and place them in small pots. They can be top heavy, so I usually tie them to a chopstick to keep them upright. A cloche will be helpful in keeping humidity up. You want to keep the soil moist but not soggy for about a month. I do this with a spray bottle to avoid getting the soil overly wet, but I still get the soil moderately damp to start by spraying. Give the plant tons of bright indirect light. A little direct sun in the morning or late afternoon is ideal.
The bare stems will eventually produce new shoots. But only leave about 5 nodes max above the soil line. If you leave the stem too tall, that new growth will start out higher and keep the plant looking spindly.
Plants grow best in the late spring and early summer, so I would do the prop around that time so the new offshoots will grow healthier and then they’ll have the whole summer to grow too.
I hope you have success with your propagation!