Can Ivy Grow In Water - Teak And Terracotta

Can ivy grow in water? We run down all you need to know about growing it in a jar or cup.

See our other articles on ivy: English Ivy Care and Propagate Ivy

Can Ivy Grow In Water Permanently

In short, ivy can grow in water alone, I have one that has been in water for over a year. They do not grow quickly in just water, but you can see the roots and they look great in a jar.

How To Grow Ivy In Water

To grow ivy water in you want to start with a cuttings, as transitioning a plant from soil to water can shock it. Follow these steps:

Step 1:

Take a cutting, 10cm or 4 inches is a good size. Take a few cuttings if you can, as they look good with a few propagating together.

Step 2:

Take the leaves off the bottom half of the cutting.

Step 3:

Put the cuttings aside so the wounds heal over, it should take a couple of hours.

Step 4:

Then put the cuttings in a cup or jar of filtered tap water. You want the naked parts of the stems under the water but no leaves in the water as they can rot.

Step 5:

You can put the pot in the same places in your home you would normally keep ivy. Low to medium indirect light is fine. Keep the water topped up and you should be good.

Step 6:

They grow slower in water but you can give it nutrients by feeding it a very diluted fertilizer to encourage faster growth, it will be ok in water alone if you don’t want to feed them.

Step 7:

After a few months the roots should look like this.

Which Is Better: Soil or Water?

Soil is best for ivy in general as it can sustain much quicker and bigger growth, but they look great in a jar of water. You can do both: take cuttings from your main plant in soil and water propagate them in view where you can se the roots. Then when you repot the soil plant you can add the cuttings back in to make the plant fuller and bushier.

You can find all our articles on water propagation here, like the Philodendron Burle Marx Water Propagation article.