Propagating Ivy From Cuttings

Ivy is a very common and popular houseplant. One really neat thing about it is that you can propagate and have baby ivy from your existing plants using cuttings! This post is going to show you how to do just that!

First of all, it is important to have a healthy “parent.” If your houseplant has numerous dead leaves, not many stems, or in any other way appears unwell, consider first focusing on the health of your current plant. If your plant is thriving, let’s make more!

Step one is fairly simple. Using a very sharp pair of clean scissors, clip off some stems. If you are able to see a bud, it is best to cut below it, as the bud may grow a root. If there aren’t any buds, just cut off a piece of the stem right around 4-6 inches long.

Next, peel off the bottom leaves as shown in the image above. I strongly suggest taking more cuttings than you expect to need as it is unlikely that all of them will sprout roots. I generally use more than one cutting in a single pot when it comes time to plant as well!

Lastly, take a small jar and fill with water. I like to cover the jar with saran wrap and then use a jar ring to hold the saran wrap in place. I have found that the saran wrap helps to hold the baby ivy stems in place and prevents them from drowning. Poke small holes in the saran wrap and stick your baby stems in! Place in a sunny location and begin the hardest part of the process…. waiting. It will likely take 2-3 weeks before there is any noticeable root growth. But when you see it… it is VERY exciting!

Once your roots are between 1.5-2inches long, it is time to transplant them into the dirt. I utilized three stems, which luckily all grew roots. I transplanted all of these stems into a single cute little pot using a specially formulated soil for indoor plants. I have used standard potting soil in the past and have had issues with little gnats living in the dirt so I am hoping that the dirt specific to houseplants will help to eliminate those little buggers!

I truly hope this works out for you as well as it has (so far!) for me. It’s so fun to be able to decorate with more plants without the cost of having to buy more plants or go to the store (for us introverts). Please be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it works out for you and remember to be patient! It takes nine months for human babies to be ready for the outside world so we need to give our baby plants a little time too! 🙂