The Popular Houseplant You Can Propagate In November

If spring is known as the time for rebirth and renewal, fall feels like its polar opposite. For tropical houseplants that are hardly affected by the seasons, November can be an ideal time to propagate them. Native to warm areas in Africa and southern Asia, snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata) live happily indoors year-round. Despite the controlled climate that keeps them snug in our houses, some seasons do stand out when caring for snake plants. Have you got a hankering for a few new snake plants this fall, or do you want to gift them during the fast-approaching holidays? Now's the time to make some new snake plants either by cutting or dividing them.

It's faster to propagate snake plants by dividing them. Akin to division, if your plant has produced pups, you can separate these babies from their mother at this time as well. In terms of making less work for yourself, taking cuttings is simple and straightforward, even if roots won't appear for a while. What's more, you don't even need to set your new plants up in expensive potting soil — you can grow a snake plant in just water.

Keep your hands clean by taking cuttings, then rooting them in just water. Start with clean scissors since tools can pass yucky things onto plant tissue. Cleaning your garden tools with vinegar is a non-toxic, inexpensive way to prep them for the task. Snip off a 3-inch section from a healthy leaf. Place it in a clear container filled with water, and in a few weeks or months, new roots will appear. Be sure to change the water at least once a week to keep algae from growing and rotting the cutting. You can also plant the cuttings in soil. Snake plants are considered succulents, so your cuttings will fare best in succulent potting mix. This stuff can be costly, so you can DIY your own succulent soil to save a few bucks.

If it's been living in the same pot for many years, or if your plant has produced pups, grab your batch of succulent soil and clean pots to expand your snake plant army. Gently remove the plant from the pot, and work the soil away from the roots. Feel around the root ball for separate root sections, and clip them apart with clean garden shears.

While repotting the divisions, fill the new pot only up to where the soil hit the plant in its prior pot; you can usually tell by where the plant stems go from white to green. Leave about a 1/2-inch margin between the soil and the lip of the pot. Give your newly-divided snake plant a good watering, and place it in a spot with low light.