How to propagate: Maranta (Prayer plant)

Thanks to its leaves, the Prayer plant is a very remarkable indoor plant. The care of the plant may not be the easiest, but its appearance makes up for that. The plant is oficially named Maranta, but called prayer plant due to its leaves.

Propagating a Maranta in 4 steps

Step 1: Disinfect

First clean the knife you might be using.

Keep the knife under hot water and clean them well. This prevents you from unnecessarily transferring bacteria during the propagation.

Do you happen to have disinfectant or pure alcohol? Disinfect the tools after using hot water. Let's get away with those bacteria and fungi!

Step 2: Take cuttings

Not all Prayer plants are big enough to take cuttings from. It is best to take a stem that has at least 3 leaves attached. It's best to cut just above a leave.

Step 3: Apply rooting hormone

Do you happen to have cutting powder at home? Then you can apply the cutting powder to the ‘open wound’ of the cutting. Let the powder dry well!

Don’t have any cutting powder? No problem. You can also easily propagate without. Although the use of cutting powder can stimulate root growth. So it is an interesting option to consider.

Step 4: Taking care of the cutting

Place the cutting in a vase or glass with water. Make sure that there are no leaves touching the water.

After about a three weeks the roots will have recovered and growth may be visible. Although it can also take longer for growth to appear. Especially when it’s winter, growth may not occur for a while. Be careful with too much watering to prevent root rot.

Does the cutting have sufficient roots? Then the cutting can be placed in a pot with soil. It is best to use fresh potting soil to stimulate root growth.