Philodendron Melanochrysum Propagation In Water

Time needed: 1 hour

1. Take the cutting

   Take a cutting which has one or two leaves on it and one node. Cut below the node and give it plenty of space. The roots will grow from here, so be careful not to damage the node.

2. Clean the cuttings up

   Take off any bits of organic matter that might rot in the water, like the cataphylls (the sheaths where new growth comes from), in case they rot in the water which can turn it cloudy and spread the rot to other cuttings.

3. Add the cuttings to a jar without water

   Put the cuttings in a jar, but do not fill it with water yet, you want to put it aside for half a day, so that the open cuts heal over. They can go mushy and rot more easily if you put water in straight away.

4. Add water after half a day

   Then add in water half a day later. I use tap water that has been filtered with a Brita jug, and has been left for a while so it is at room temperature. Make sure the nodes are completely under the water and the leaves are out of it, as they can rot if they get soggy.

5. Let them root for a month

   The cuttings should start to root within a few days, and be really well grown in a month or so. Then you can keep them in the water or move them to another medium like soil, leca or moss. While they’re rooting, keep the water topped up and change it if it starts to go cloudy. Keep the jar in medium indirect sunlight.