How to propagate pothos in water

To propagate pothos in water, take a healthy stem cutting with a leaf joint, remove the lower leaves and put the lower part of the stem in water. Keep the leaves above the water and place the cutting in bright, indirect light. A loose leaf without the right piece of stem is a different proposition.

The pleasure of a clear vessel is that you can see what is happening. You don't have to pull the cutting out repeatedly to look for progress. A small station on a shelf can turn an easily forgotten job into something you notice in passing.

Start with a suitable cutting

The RHS guide to houseplant cuttings includes pothos among plants propagated from stems. It advises choosing healthy growth, using clean, sharp tools and cutting below a leaf joint. Its general preparation is a stem around 8 to 10 cm long, with the lower leaves removed and two or three left at the top.

Look at the parent plant before cutting. Identify the joint where a leaf meets the stem rather than choosing a length simply because it will fit a particular vase. If you're unsure of the plant's identity or propagation method, establish that first.

Arrange the stem before arranging the shelf

Set the prepared cutting into clean water with its leaves clear of the surface. Follow the RHS advice to keep cuttings somewhere bright without direct sun. Refresh the water regularly and keep an eye on the level, especially in a small vessel.

Choose a place where you can lift the glass out safely. A narrow shelf above a plug socket or a position that requires reaching over a laptop adds an unnecessary problem. Put the plant's needs and the practicalities of changing water ahead of the photograph.

How many cuttings belong in a propagation station?

Give each stem enough space that you can see it and remove it without tangling everything together. You don't have to fill every vessel on the first day. Starting with one or two makes it easier to compare what is happening.

Our New Roots propagation station has four removable glass tubes in a timber frame. The frame is 20 cm wide, 10 cm high and 4.5 cm deep. Lift the tubes out for rinsing and keep the timber dry. Plants aren't included.

Those four positions can become a small record. Note which cutting went into each tube and when. A pencil note in a notebook is enough. If one cutting changes while the others do not, you have somewhere to begin looking, rather than a vague recollection that they all started 'last week'.

When do water-grown cuttings move into compost?

The RHS advises potting water-rooted cuttings individually once roots have developed and growth has begun, using small pots and peat-free multipurpose compost. Its general rooting estimate is three to four weeks, but a date in a diary isn't a guarantee for your particular cutting.

Make your next observation about the plant: is it forming roots, is new growth appearing, and is it ready for the next stage? Prepare the pot before you lift the cutting out. Don't buy a larger display just because roots have made the glass look full.

A cutting is a beginning

A propagation tube is a useful place to watch this stage. Think ahead to where the resulting plant will live and how much room you actually have for it. One successful cutting that you can care for is a satisfying result.

If you'd rather begin with something for the kitchen, read Windowsill herbs: start with the light. Herbs grown in compost and houseplant cuttings in water have different needs; the useful habit they share is looking carefully at the position before choosing the container.