The Easiest Ways To Propagate Aglaonema For An Endless Supply Of Exotic Red Plants

While plants in the garden can delight us with gorgeous, colorful blooms, houseplants can add vibrancy indoors with colored foliage. Such is the case with Aglaonema, also known as Chinese evergreen, which has the most stunning red leaves and is a lovely, variegated indoor plant that thrives in humid rooms. There are also cultivars that have silver, white, or pink variegations to add even more diversity to your indoor display. But if you adore these exotic plants with red leaves, you can easily propagate Aglaonema for an endless supply by taking stem cuttings and putting them in water or in a propagation mix. This is regarded as the easiest way to propagate this particular plant. To start your collection, look for cultivars such as 'Red Emerald', 'Red Gold', 'Red Ruby', and 'Red Zircon'.

This is one of those indoor species that will start to get a bit leggy over time, as the stems grow taller and the leaves at the bottom die. Once this happens, it's the perfect time to trim off those lanky stems and use them to create new plants. And the process couldn't be easier. You want each stem with leaves at the top to be around 4 to 6 inches long. Cut off these stems just below a node and clean any leaf remnants or loose foliage from the base of each one. You should end up with what looks like a clean stem with nodes or swellings around the base and three to five leaves at the top.

For the water method, grab some glass jars, bottles, or vases and fill them with water. Bottles or narrow-necked vases are ideal for this because you'll be able to submerge the base of the stem while keeping the leaves out of the water. Place a cutting in each container. Put these in a warm spot with plenty of light, such as a windowsill. Remember to change the water at least once a week to keep it clean. It will take a few weeks for roots to form, and once these are around 1 to 2 inches long, you can transplant your Aglaonema into a pot with your preferred growing medium.

Alternatively, you can gather some small pots and fill them with potting soil or your favorite propagation mix. Take each cutting and dip the base into some rooting hormone if you have it. This will help to stimulate root formation much faster. Make a hole in the center of each pot using a dibber or a pencil and insert the stem of the cutting. Firm the soil around the cutting so that it's nice and secure. Water the mix and put the pots in the same warm location with adequate light, but avoid direct sunlight. Mist your cuttings regularly until the roots have a chance to develop, which should only take a few short weeks, and you're likely to find that this method will produce new rooted plants a little faster than using water. As these plants are so easy to propagate, you might want to give a few to your family and friends because they can bring luck and good fortune according to Feng Shui.