Learn how to propagate Pilea plants from leaves and grow many new plants in water or soil. Follow the simple steps below.
Read this easy guide and learn how to Propagate Pilea Plants from Leaves and create more houseplants without spending money at your home. Try this fun and rewarding process for successful propagation.
Can You Propagate Pilea from a Leaf?
You can have a new pilea plant from a leaf cutting, though it is not an easy technique. To do this, you need to cut a small piece of the trunk with the leaf. It can not be done with only leaves without a trunk. Read on to learn more on this topic below.
Pilea Leaf Propagation
If you try to propagate pilea from a leaf cutting, you will not succeed because the Pilea petiole or the stalk that binds the leaf to the stem does not have the tissue required to form new foliage and plants.
In case you only have a leaf, root it in the water; the roots will keep the individual leaf but cannot produce new foliage or a new plant from it.
The best practice for propagating the pilea leaves is to include a bit of trunk while cutting the leaf. A piece of the trunk will help the Pilea what it wants to form a new plant.
When to Propagate
The best time for planting is in the growing season, in spring, when it has the potential to produce new growth. Pilea can be propagated from spring to summer and into early fall; it turns dormant in the cold months from late fall to winter. For the best results, do it in the spring or summer months.
Steps to Propagate Pilea Plants from Leaves
1. Take the Cutting
Use a clean, sharp knife and take a healthy, large leaf with a bit of the trunk at the base of the stem attached to it; do not use any fallen foliage.
2. Root in Water
Instead of rooting the leaf directly in the soil, root it in water. For this, fill a small glass jar with non-chlorinated water, insert the cutting in it, and make sure only the base of the stalk, trunk are submerged in the water and not the leaf.
Change the water frequently, at least once a week, or when it turns cloudy. Handle the delicate cuttings gently while changing the water.
Keep the leaf in an area with bright indirect light; the roots will begin to grow in a few weeks. In just a month, you will notice a new plantlet or pup sprouting at the base of the leaf from the trunk cutting.
Don’t worry if the original leaf is starting to die; through time, a tiny pup will emerge at the base of the leaf which is needed to have another Pilea plant.
3. Plant in Soil
In a month or two, the pup at the base of the cutting will become sufficiently large to be planted in the soil. Wait until the pup is about 1-2 inches tall with 1 inch of roots. Now, you can move the plantlet to a new planter with drainage holes and fill it with succulent potting mix. Keep the potted Pilea in an area with bright, indirect light. Avoiding overwatering is a key to keeping this plant happy.
