This is not the fastest way to propagate houseplants, nor is it the safest way to propagate houseplants,but it’s definitely the easiest AND it’s especially good if you’re the kind of person that accidentally forgets about propagations for months on end.
We are talking about, of course, the humble prop box.
What you need to make a prop box
Do not feel like you need to purchase anything fancy.
A box
Any clean, clear receptacle will do.
I went with a cupcake box.
As you might imagine, demand for these is low so my boyfriend picked one up very cheaply from a local shop (Yorkshire Trading, I believe).
In hindsight, something bigger might have been a bit better, as I think lack of airflow contributed to my initial teething problems.
If you’re planning on propaging cuttings with large leaves, you’ll need something bigger than if you’re just planning on rooting wet sticks.
PUT SOME HOLES IN THE TOP.
Air flow is important.
I used a pin, which was ridiculous and OBVIOUSLY took ages. Why did I not use a drill??
Use a drill. I did eight holes for no other reason than the box was square and had a handle in the middle which took the place of the ninth hole.
Some substrate
I used a layer of Pon on the bottom simply because I had some, but just moss is fine. You could even use a chunky potting mix.
I used some of that dried moss that you rehydrate. I just ran it under the kitchen tap but nutrient water may help speed up the process.
At some point I added soil, but I don’t know when or why. I wouldn’t care, but I knew I was going to be filming a video on my prop box so took footage of me setting it up. No soil was added and yet there’s definitely some in there.
You could use leca, perlite, pumice…anything that can retain moisture but doesn’t stay super wet.
NB perlite will like go green. It’s fine, just a bit of algae that is likely growing on other substrates, but it’s just obvious.
Some cuttings
I took a couple of dozen cuttings from several plants that all looked the same and then proceeded to whack them all in together with no regard for who was who.
I like this approach – it adds a bit of mystery to the process! Buuut…I appreciate thast some kind of labelling system might be preferable to you.
Use permanent marker if you’re making labels. Anything else will just disappear in the humidity. I learnt that the hard way when I started vegetable seedlings.
Where to put your propagation box
This will take a bit of trial and error because light varies SO MUCH depending on where you live, which direction your house faces etc etc etc.
All I can tell you is where I put mine, which is right next to a south-facing window. I actually sat it on my Thai Constellation pot (it’s in a long tray to see if it crawls, but it’s yet to produce a leaf this year – just freaking ROOTS) because it stops the soil from drying out in the sun.
If you look to the right the top corner of the box you can see the tray with my Monstera seedlings in. They’ve been thrown outside for the summer because apparently I want my TWELVE baby Monstera to grow huge. My house is fewer than 1000 square feet.
There. Is. No. Room.
And. Yet. I. Cannot. Be. Tamed.
No one look at the Thai. She has everything she could ever want and gives me NOTHING.
Anyway, the cuttings don’t burn (bear in mind I live in North Yorkshire, so the sun is not at its hottest) and the warmth both speeds up rooting and keeps the water evaporating, condensing on the roof/ceiling (?) of the box and the dripping back down. I’ve got my own little water cycle going on.
Propagation box maintenance
Prop boxes barely need any maintenance EXCEPT in the first few weeks. like terrariums, once you have the balance of moisture correct, you only need to water occasionally when/if the substrate dries out.
We’ll take about mould and springtails etc later on.
My fave thing about this propagation method was the lack of maintenance. It just sits there.
How long it takes for cuttings to root
Some rooted within weeks. Some still haven’t rooted four months later.
This is definitely a slower propagation method, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in ease.
Troubleshooting
Rot
If your cuttings are rotting then you need more oxygen. Either:
- It’s too wet
- It’s too cold
- It’s too dark
- It’s too dense
You can’t save the rotted parts so snip them off and try again.
Many people would recommend changing the substrate if there’s rot but I would never. Just seems wasteful to me. Some cuttings will be more susceptible to rot than others and it would be weird if the odd cutting DIDN’T rot.
You can dip them in hydrogen peroxide before putting them back in if you’re worried.
Mould
I started my prop box in March when it was probably (definitely) top cold unless you’re adding a heat map and grow light. It went moldy within a week..
In true me fashion I just left it open for a few hours to allow it to dry out, popped in some springtails (in a weird twist of fate the place we buy our rabbit’s hay from had them for sale) and crossed my fingers.
The mould went and never returned.
To this day I don’t know where it came from or where it went (other than into the bellies of the springtails).
I didn’t take a picture (well, I did but I can’t find it) but it looked like the mould you get on bread. Gross.
Random plants
I bought a £1 parsley from Tesco 2 years ago and MAN do those seeds get everywhere. I had grass and other mystery weeds pop up in my prop box too. I just plucked them out and went about my day.
Forgetting what the cuttings are
Labels are an option, but you could also take a photo on your phone and mark it up (I find it easiest in the books app for some reason).
I just accept the fact that I will never remember what I’m propping. It adds a bit of mystery.
Optional extras
Grow light
This is my boyfriend rudimentary method of growing aquarium plants:
I know it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing but you get the idea. I’ll take a better picture…one day. I can’t turn the light on because it’s on a timer (one hour in the morning so it’s lit whilst ewe have coffee, then 14:00 – 22:00) and I don’t want to ruin it.
A great option if you don’t have a window spare for a prop box. Or if you want to prop in winter.
Heat mat
Also a great option if you like to prop in winter. These are worth getting if you grow a lot of things from seed.
Balancing it on a hot water bottle is also an option (my mum has ones that stay warm for 24 hours which is wild) but chances of it falling off are naturally higher.
Cleanup crew
Isopods and springtails are an option for larger prop boxes but absolutely not necessary. TBH I have no idea how easy these are to get hold of. They eat decomposing matter so can help keep rot at bay. Add in a slice of cucumber every now and again to keep morale high (don’t let it rot because few things smell worse – take it out after a few days).
In conclusion
TL;DR
1.Put a layer of damp moss in a clear box
2. Add cuttings
3. Wait
Further reading:
