Find the nodes
A node is the small bump on the stem where a leaf joins it. Look closely and you'll often see a brown nub there: that's an aerial root. New roots grow from nodes, so every cutting needs at least one.
Take the cuttings
- Use clean scissors and choose a healthy vine without yellow or spotted leaves.
- Cut just below a node, making pieces with two to four leaves each.
- Remove the leaf closest to the cut end, so the node can sit in water or soil without a leaf rotting.
Option 1: rooting in water
- Place the cuttings in a glass or jar of room-temperature water, with the nodes submerged and the leaves above the water.
- Put the jar in bright, indirect light.
- Change the water every week, or sooner if it turns cloudy.
Roots usually appear within a couple of weeks. Once they are about 5 cm (2 in) long, the cuttings are ready to pot.
Option 2: rooting in soil
Push the node end of each cutting into a small pot of moist potting mix. Keep the mix lightly damp, not soggy, and place it in bright, indirect light. After a few weeks, a gentle tug that meets resistance means roots have formed.
Potting up water-rooted cuttings
Roots grown in water are adapted to it, so the move to soil can be a shock. Plant several cuttings together in a small pot for a fuller look, and keep the soil a little more moist than usual for the first two weeks, then return to normal watering.
Troubleshooting
- Cutting rotting: the stem was probably cut without a node, or the water wasn't changed. Start again with a fresh cutting.
- No roots after a month: move it somewhere warmer and brighter.
- Leaves yellowing: one older leaf yellowing is normal; many suggest too little light.
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