Knowing how to propagate goldfish plants is an important skill to have, and for quite a few good reasons. For starters, you can grow as many plants as you want without new nursery stock.
What’s more, propagation might be your last hope to save a dying plant. Not to mention that it’s an efficient way to take advantage of pruned pieces.
Read on to learn how to propagate goldfish plants in water and soil.
Step 1: Gather the Necessary Tools
For water propagation here’s what you’ll need:,
- Plant pruning scissors
- Alcohol
- Potting soil
- Perlite
- Fertilizer (preferably liquid fish emulsion)
- 6-inch plant pots
- Rooting hormone (optional)
Step 2: Take the Cuttings
Generally, you’ll need stem or leaf cuttings to propagate goldfish plants. Goldfish seeds, on the other hand, are hard to get.
It’s worth noting that the condition of the goldfish plant cuttings you get plays a significant role in propagation success.
Here’s what to look for when taking a goldfish plant cutting:
- Look for branches without flowers. That’s because all the food and energy will support flowering and not rooting.
- Look for the pliable, green part of the stems. It’s at the top end of a branch.
- Only use healthy-looking leaves without discoloration or mold as cuttings.
After picking the branches with the highest probability of successful propagation, sterilize the pruning shears with alcohol. Then, cut right below the nodes.
The cuttings should be 4-6 inches, but not any more. Large cuttings produce thin, tall plants or might not root at all.
Make sure to remove the bottom, small leaves. That’s because the young foliage falls into the water or soil container and rot.
For leaf cuttings, chop around an inch and a half from the petiole.
Step 3: Plant Cuttings in the Propagating Medium
As mentioned earlier, you can use water or soil to grow goldfish plants. Water medium makes it easy to surround yourself with the beautiful plant without needing much time, effort, and cost.
However, the water propagating isn’t sustainable in the long run. Soon, the plants will demand more nutrients to survive.
Soil, on the other hand, can be a bit more complex and slower than a water medium. Still, you’ll eventually have to pot the plant propagules in the soil.
So, adding the extra water propagating step can be overwhelming unless you’re only planting a few goldfish plant cuttings.
Let’s discuss each medium in further detail!
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Water Medium
In general, you can water-propagate most common houseplants, including goldfish plants. However, that propagating method is only successful for stem and leaf cuttings.
That said, goldfish plants need humidity to grow well. If you live in a dry place, water propagation can be easier to root those plants than soil propagation.
Some plant-growing methods add nutrients to the water so that the propagules don’t need soil to survive. That nutrient-rich liquid system is known as hydroponics.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Fill a clean glass jar or any container with room-temperature water. Tap water would work fine, but if you want to go the extra mile, use rainwater.
- Don’t go overboard with the water. Just pour enough to cover the stem’s node.
- Place the plant cutting inside the jar. Make sure not to submerge leaf cuttings in water, as they’ll rot.
- Change the water every 3-5 days or at least once a week. That’s to replenish the depleted oxygen in the water as the plants grow.
- Mist the leaves regularly to remove dust and increase moisture.
- Once the roots are around 3 to 5 inches, it’s time to move the cuttings to the soil.
Soil Medium
Goldfish plants grow best in light, well-draining soil. That’s because these plants are epiphytes. They need structural support from other plants, like trees, to grow. Plus, those epiphytes get water from rain and nutrients from decaying plant debris.
As you can tell from their nature, goldfish plants won’t survive waterlogged soil. For that reason, use propagating soil made of two parts organic potting mix and one part perlite. Alternatively, you can buy planting mix for propagation.
Here’s what you need to do after preparing the soil mix:
- Fill the 6-inch pots around halfway with the soil. Make sure to use sterile pots with draining holes.
- Dampen the soil and make a center hole for the cuttings.
- Dip the cutting ends in a rooting hormone. Although this step is optional, the rooting hormone provides essential nutrients to promote fast root growth.
- Plant the stem or leaf cuttings into the damp soil.
- Cover the remaining half of the pot with soil.
- Water the pot and keep the goldfish propagules under favorable conditions.
Step 4: Provide Suitable Growth Conditions
After choosing the propagation method, provide the goldfish plant with proper growth conditions to ensure the cuttings root.
Here’s what you need to know:
Light
Since goldfish plants are tropical, they prefer a lot of bright light during the day. However, direct sunlight can cause leaf burn. For that reason, place the pot in an area with partial shade near a northern- or eastern-facing window.
Temperature and Humidity
Goldfish plants are sensitive to heat and cold. So, make sure to keep them at a temperature between 65ºF and 75ºF.
Additionally, maintain moderate to high humidity, around 50% or higher. You can mist the plants daily or use a humidifier to achieve those conditions.
Fertilizer
Goldfish prefer slightly acidic soil. For that reason, opt for a fertilizer that has an acidifying effect, like fish emulsion.
That said, only start fertilizing goldfish propagules once roots grow and establish in the soil. That can take around two to three weeks.
Watering
While goldfish can’t survive in waterlogged soil, they still need water to thrive. Consequently, you should water whenever the top inch feels dry. You can use the finger test to know whether the soil needs watering.
Wrapping Up
You can propagate goldfish plants in both soil and water. All you must do is pick the appropriate cuttings. To do that, make sure to cut young, green stems without flowers. Alternatively, you can snip off healthy leaves.
Plant them in clean water or well-draining soil after making the cutting stock. Also, provide them with indirect, bright light, warm temperatures, and moderate to high humidity.
Soon, you’ll see the cuttings rooting and maturing into beautiful goldfish plants!