Botanical Bounty ~ Fast & Affordable Ways to Multiply Your House Plants

Do you get dreamy looking at those Pinterest photos of sunlit living rooms filled with a jungle of plants? Me too! Plants are my favorite decor. They add such an elegance of beauty and aliveness and they purify the air to boot. How great is that? More plants, please!

Here are a few resourceful ways that I’ve discovered to easily multiple your plant collection.

1. Most plants you purchase are actually multiple plants in one container. 

When you’re shopping for plants, look for ones that have multiple stems/stalks within one pot. When you get home, you can then carefully separate them at the root ball into two or more plants depending on the desired size. You can transfer each new plant baby into individual pots or plant them together in larger pots with other plants that require similar care.

*I’ve included a picture below of my lovely Caladium. Do you see all those individual stalks? Those are all multiple plants that can be divided into many plants!

Safety tip: Make sure to educate yourself on plants that could be toxic to kids, dogs, cats, and other pets. Caladiums, for example, are toxic to all of the above! A plant identification app can be helpful (but not foolproof).

2. Propagate from plants you already have or find some growing in your neighborhood.

Many plants are incredibly easy to propagate into new plants. You may already have some in your home that you can take cuttings from, put them in water or soil to start new ones.

Here is a link for some easy propagators. https://bit.ly/3AissEj

Meet your nieghbors! I have also scored many plants by keeping an eye out for gardeners and nieghbors that are doing yard work. Sometimes the plants they are discarding can be propagated, especially succulents! Just ask, they are usually more than happy to share.

Also, keep your eye out for plants that are ready to rescue in public fringe areas of your neighborhood. I’ve found ivy, succulents and snake plants that where growing in abandoned zones that I’ve taken small cuttings from. Just be mindful not to take too much or that your not on someone’s private property!

3. Ask your local plant shops or nurseries if they have any un-sellable plants.

Many plants may not look pretty enough to go on the shelves for sale, yet they just need some TLC to thrive. Ask your plant shops if they have any that are destined for the trash. (I’ve found the boutique plant shops are the best to ask for these vs. the big box garden suppliers).

I have a philodendron that is over 12 years old that I rescued from a florist shop dumpster. It had one scrawny leaf when it started and a few years later, it was attempting to take over our kitchen it got so big! If you don’t mind rescue plants looking a little rough in the beginning, with some patience and care, they will flourish for years.