Propagate Ivy - Teak And Terracotta

Introduction

You can propagate ivy relatively easily using water, moss or soil propagation. We cover all you need to know in this concise guide.

See also: English Ivy Care.

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Propagate Ivy In Water

To propagate ivy in water….

Take a cutting with at least 4 nodes (the nodes are the parts of the stem that leaves grow from, and roots will also grow from these too).
Strip the leaves from the bottom two nodes, so there will only be leaves on the top two nodes.
Put the cutting in a jar of water.
Make sure the two ‘naked’ nodes are below the surface of the water, and the leaves are not touching the water as this can cause rot and the water to go cloudy.
Keep the cutting in medium indirect sunlight and it should root well with a couple of months.
You can then pot the plant up in soil if you like.

Growing Ivy In Water

You can grow ivy in water, just propagate some cuttings in a jar of water and then keep them there. Just make sure that leaves do no rot in the water which can cloud the water and cause the roots to rot as well.

How To Propagate Ivy In Soil

To propagate ivy and soil you just need to take some cuttings, strip the leaves from the bottom few nodes and put them directly in soil. Keep it moist and in medium indirect sunlight and it will root over the next two months or so.

Propagating Ivy In Sphagnum Moss

I like to use sphagnum moss to propagate ivy as you can see in the image. You get much less rot like you can with soil and the cuttings stay in place, unlike with water. I use plastic cup of moss and then keep it in an external container.

Where To Cut Ivy To Propagate

You want a 4 inch or 10 cm length of stem at least with plenty of leaves on it, especially towards the top. Cut them below a leaf node (where the leaf attaches to the main stem) using a clean pair of scissors or garden shears. You can then strip the leaves from the bottom half and propagate it as mentioned above.