How To Propagate Lemon Lime Maranta In Water

Introduction

Welcome to our guide on how to propagate lemon lime maranta in water, we cover all you need to know…

See also: our main Maranta Lemon Lime care guide and our other lemon and lime maranta propagation guides: In Sphagnum Moss, In Leca.

How To Propagate Lemon Lime Maranta In Water

Step 1: Take Your Cutting

You want to use clean scissors and cut below the node. This is the wider part of the stem that the plant branches from. You can see it in the image below. The roots will grow from the node so you do not want to damage it. Ideally you want one node and two leaves on each cutting, (I have found that one leaf cuttings root much slower).

Showing the node circled in red on a maranta and where to cut. — This image shows the node circled in red, you want to cut the cutting a little below this point as I have done in the image.

Step 2: Put The Cutting Aside

Leave the cutting for a few hours until the would is healed over. This really helps to reduce rot as water cannot get in to the stem.

Step 3: Put The Cutting In Water

After a few hours when the cut site is sealed you can put the cutting in water. They can be sensitive to hard water, so I use a water filter. I use a glass jar for the cuttings so I can see root growth.

Many marantas growing in water — You can put multiple cuttings in one jar, but keep an eye out for rot as they can all be affected – if the water goes cloudy then change it immediately and remove any rotting cuttings.

Step 4: Put It In Indirect Sun and Keep It Warm

Put the cutting in a warm place so they get plenty of indirect (but no direct) sunlight, and wait for them to root.

Step 5: Keep The Water Topped Up

Keep the water level topped up, using filtered tap water. If the water goes cloudy you should change the water. Cloudiness is normally due to rot, maybe one of the cuttings is rotting or a leaf has dropped in the water and rotted. You can try to avoid cloudiness by keeping foliage out of the water and removing any rotting stems. Once you get cloudy water you should change the water immediately as it can cause the other cuttings in the jar to rot.

Maranta cuttings starting to root in water

Step 6: Wait A Month Or Two For The Cuttings To Root

The cuttings normally start to root fairly quickly, and in a month or two they should be well established. At this point you can move the cuttings to a potting medium, like soil or moss.

But you can keep them living in water indefinitely as long as you keep the water topped up. I like the look of the roots in a clear glass jar. They tend to grow slower in water than in soil, but you can use semi-hydroponic feed to give them nutrients while growing in water.