The Chinese money plant is quite possibly the most popular indoor plant ever. The plant gets its name because its leaves stack on top of each other and look like coins. It's also known as the pass-it-on plant. The Chinese money plant (or Pilea peperomioides) is very good for taking cuttings. It's easy, even if you're a newbie at taking cuttings!
The Chinese money plant makes its own plantlets if you care for it well. The plant is perfectly content to let you remove its plantlets: the parent plant can then conserve its energy for itself. Taking cuttings isn't just fun, it's also good for the plant. This blog sets out how to take cuttings from a Chinese money plant, step by step. Once you read it, you'll never again visit friends and family empty handed.
Let's get started!
The Chinese money plant grows two types of plantlets. Plantlets that grow on the plant itself and plantlets that grow in the soil. You can take cuttings from both! Remember: only take cuttings once the plantlets are large enough. They need to be at least four to six centimetres tall. What do you absolutely need?
- A Chinese money plant
- A knife or a sharp tool
- Water
- A glass pot with a lid
- Cutting soil
Taking cuttings from a Chinese money plant: step-by-step guide
- Step 1: Fill the pot up halfway with cutting soil. Add water until the mixture is damp but not wet.
- Step 2: Use a sharp knife to remove the cuttings from the Chinese money plant. Remember, they must be at least four to six centimetres tall. Remove the cuttings growing in the soil by carefully pulling them loose from the roots of the parent plant with your fingers.
- We recommend using five or six Chinese money plant cuttings if you want to grow a new pot of plantlets.
- Step 3: Place the plantlets in the pot with soil and make sure that the plantlets' roots are well covered, the plantlets are upright and the leaves have enough room above the soil.
- For a bit of extra oomph you can use rooting powder. Rooting powder contains certain plant hormones to help the Chinese money plant form roots better and faster.
- Step 4: Place the lid on the glass pot slightly open to let in some oxygen. The cuttings from the Chinese money plant must form roots within three weeks. If this doesn't happen, make sure that they stay damp and use fertiliser.
- Step 5: Chinese money plants must have sunlight to grow in the house. So make sure that your Chinese money plants get to enjoy the sun for about eight hours every day!
The Chinese money plant in water
You can also place cuttings from a Chinese money plant in water. You'll be able to see the roots of the indoor plant growing in its glass vase. This is also called hydroponics; the indoor plant trend that's in now. Make sure that the leaves don't touch the water as they can start to rot
