How to Propagate Plants by Layering

Some plants can develop special roots, called ‘adventitious roots’, on their stems or branches, which can assist them to access additional moisture and nutrients or allow them to attach to various surfaces or grow into the surrounding soil. Monstera is a good example of how stems can produce these types of above-ground roots.  Propagating plants via layering takes advantage of plants that already have, or can be encouraged to, develop adventitious roots.   

Layering occurs naturally in a few plants, such as spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum), strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, where stems touching the ground can form their own root systems. You can actively promote this type of root development in various indoor plants, shrubs and small trees and create new plants by layering. 

• Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)
• Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera adansonii)
• Philodendron selloum
• Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendon scandens)
• Chain of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
• Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum spp.)
• English Ivy (Hedera helix)
• Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora tetrasperma)

• Gardenias
• Azaleas
• Camellias
• Rhododendrons
• Daphne
• Magnolias

STEP 1

Layering is best done in spring and summer when plants are actively growing.

STEP 2

For outdoor trees and shrubs, choose a flexible stem that’s close to the ground and is long enough for its middle section to be buried in the soil.

STEP 3

For indoor plants, choose a stem that can be positioned or bent so it can touch a pot filled with potting mix. A seed raising mix like Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds is ideal as its fine texture helps create good contact with the stem.

STEP 4

Not all layering attempts will work, so, the more stems you use, the greater the chance of success.

STEP 5

For plants with thick stems, using a clean razor blade or sharp knife, make a shallow cut a few centimetres long on the underside of the middle of the stem where it will be touching the soil or seed raising mix. Ideally the cut should be made over a node, which is the bump on the stem where leaves would normally grow from. Remove any leaves from around the cut area.

STEP 6

Make sure you don’t cut through more than a third of the diameter of the stem. Cutting the stem promotes a wound response and helps adventitious roots to form, as auxin (a plant hormone that promotes root development) accumulates near the cut. To further promote root development, dip the cut into some or Yates Clonex Rooting Hormone Gel - Purple for hard and semi-hardwood cuttings

STEP 7

For indoor plants with thin stems like chain of hearts and ivy, there is no need to cut or wound the stem, as these plants naturally have adventitious roots.

STEP 8

Bend the stem towards the soil or pot of seed raising mix and bury the wounded section in the ground or seed raising mix. It can help to weigh down the soil over the stem with a brick. For indoor plants, bend a paperclip into a U-shape and press that down and over the stem to secure it into the seed raising mix.

STEP 9

Keep the soil or seed raising mix moist, but not wet, and roots should develop over the coming months.

STEP 10

Once a small root system has developed (you can check by gently scraping away some of the soil or potting mix), cut the stem from the parent plant and pot it up into a small pot with premium potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. It’s important to keep the potting mix moist while the new plant establishes.

Plants with rigid stems, or stems that are too far away to reach the ground, are best propagated via air layering. Instead of soil or potting mix, moist sphagnum or coir peat is suspended around the stem.

• Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla)
• Ficus including Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) and Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
• Philodendron selloum
• Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendon scandens)
• Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)
• Corn Plant or Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans)

• Magnolias
• Camellias
• Azaleas
• Rhododendrons
• Figs (edible)
• Gardenias

STEP 1

Air-layering is best done in spring and summer when most plants are actively growing.

STEP 2

Choose a mature stem around 30 cm long that’s at least the thickness of a pencil.

STEP 3

Using a clean razor blade or sharp knife make a shallow cut on the stem, a few centimetres long, around 20 cm from the stem tip. For woody stems, some of the bark can also be removed, which exposes the cambium layer (a layer of cells where roots can develop). Ideally the cut should be made over a node, which is the bump on the stem where leaves would normally grow from. Remove any leaves from around the cut area.

STEP 4

Make sure you don’t cut through more than a third of the diameter of the stem. Cutting the stem promotes a wound response and helps adventitious roots to form, as auxin (a plant hormone that promotes root development) accumulates near the cut. To further promote root development, dip the cut into some Yates Plant Cutting Powder or Yates Clonex Rooting Hormone Gel - Purple.

STEP 5

Wrap the cut section of stem in a ball of damp sphagnum moss or fine coir (coconut) peat, cover with a clear plastic bag and then tightly secure around the stem with budding tape or elastic bands. It’s important that the moss or peat doesn’t dry out.

STEP 6

Roots can develop over the coming months, which you’ll be able to see through the clear plastic. Once the new root system has filled the plastic bag, cut the stem from the parent plant, just below the new root system, and pot it up into a small pot with premium potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. It’s important to keep the potting mix moist while the new plant establishes.

Before undertaking layering, to limit the spread of diseases ensure your tools are sterilised (dip tools in 1-part bleach to 10 parts water) and re-sterilise between different plants to avoid transferring any infections between plants.