Hardly any other houseplant is as pretty and easy to care for as bow hemp. A sufficient reason why you want more of it. If you have a well-established plant at home, you can try one of the following methods and propagate your bow hemp!
How can you propagate bow hemp? The methods at a glance
Bow hemp (Sansevieria) or mother-in-law's tongue is one of the easiest houseplants to grow yetgood air purifiersare. Did you know that it can also be easily propagated whenever you want? The sword-like leaves of this tropical houseplant root easily in water or soil, and for large plants, division is also a good option. All you need to propagate your plant is time, a sharp knife or pruning shears, potting soil and water. A few simple tips will ensure that the young plants thrive and you get lots of new plants for your plant oasis or to share with friends. Rooting new bow hemp plants takes a few months, but it's worth the wait, especially when you see new shoots forming.
Choose the right substrate
Not everyone knows that arched hemp belongs to the succulent family. Therefore, the soil in which it grows should be well-drained and nutrient-poor. When choosing, you can choose between cactus or succulent soil and a mixture of green plant soil and sand in a ratio of 3:1. Both variants are well suited for mother-in-law's tongue and ensure that the cuttings put down strong roots.
Divide and propagate sansevieria
Division involves dividing the plant into sections, creating a usefulmethod of propagationlarger plants. First, remove all of the sansevieria from the pot, including the roots. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut through the tightly tangled root ball. Make sure that you create sections with at least 3 leaves and associated roots.
Plant each division in a container filled with cactus soil. Water the partial plants well and allow them to drain well. Place the newly potted plants in bright but indirect light. Water when the soil feels dry.
Separate runners and propagate bow hemp
With the right care and conditions, your bow hemp will likely do all the hard work for you. These succulents often form runners next to the mother plant. This is how they reproduce naturally.
Depending on the soil height and depth of the runner, you can simply cut the plant from above without having to remove it from the pot. However, if you want to see where root growth begins and ensure clean removal, you should repot the sansevieria.
Follow the same steps as for division and identify any cuttings that are suitable for transplanting. They should have a few leaves and some roots to grow independently. You can snip these off the mother plant or cut them off with a sharp knife, leaving as many roots as possible on the plant.
Take a small container and plant the young plant alone, leaving enough space for it to spread.
Sansevieria is easy to propagate through cuttings. All you need is a leaf from the mother plant. To root, you can either place the leaf in water or let it root in soil. We now summarize the two methods.
Root cuttings in water
Rooting bow hemp cuttings is as easy as placing a leaf in a jar of plain water. Start by cutting a leaf from an established plant. The cut leaf should be at least 15 cm (larger leaves are even better). Place the cut end of the leaf in a glass or vase filled with 2 inches of water. Place the container in a bright place and replace the water by rinsing the container once a week. Roots should form at the base of the cutting in about two months. After roots have formed, plant the rooted cutting in a container filled with soil.
Divide leaf cuttings and root in soil
Sansevieria cuttings also root in moist potting soil. Start by removing a leaf from an established plant by cutting it at the base of the plant with pruning shears or a sharp knife. You can maximize the number of new plants by cutting the leaf horizontally into several 5cm pieces. Cut or score the leaf pieces at an angle so you can remember which end is the “bottom” and which is the “top”.
To promote rooting and prevent rot, the bottom end of each leaf piece is planted firstdipped in rooting powder. Then place the cutting about a centimeter deep in moist substrate and place the container in a bright place. Keep the soil moist but not wet. After about two months, try to carefully lift the cutting out of the ground. If you feel resistance, the cutting has rooted and become established in its new pot. If the cutting pops out of the soil, transplant it and continue watering if the soil is dry.
Propagating bow hemp: This is how you care for the plant after propagation
When you're finished planting, water thoroughly to keep the soil moist. This encourages new root growth and prevents the cuttings or cuttings from drying out. Place the pot in a warm and bright location to encourage new growth and shorten the acclimation time the plants need after all the stress.
If you propagated from leaf cuttings, keep the soil moist until roots form. After a few weeks, you should limit watering until individual cuttings are ready to be transplanted.
Offshoots and separate plants can be treated largely like normal bow hemp. They have roots to facilitate growth and are therefore quite susceptible to root rot. If they are in the right place, growth should start again within a few weeks.
Please note:Waterlogging is a real enemy of this houseplant and must be avoided at all costs. Useful tips on when and how often to use itYou can find out how to water bow hemp in this article.
Avoid fertilizing immediately after planting as this can cause the roots and leaves to burn. The fresh soil the plants are in should be enough to keep them alive for a while. After about two months, you can apply a suitable fertilizer if growth is slow.
