Grow A Pair
There are few plants that are harder to kill than the philodendron, and we’ve already chatted about how fresh greenery breathes life into your home (both literally and figuratively). But sometimes they look a bit less chic and a bit more Little Shop Of Horrors if they’re overgrown and snaking all over the place like the ones in the background of this down-home seafood restaurant that we loved in Savannah (ignore our crab-like expressions in the foreground):
So whenever ours threatens to spread out a bit too much, we grab the scissors and get our clip on.
And the greatest thing about it is that by clipping close to the root of the plant…
…each too-long branch that we snip can be placed in a glass of water only to grow roots and become a clone of the original plant. Really, the entire plant will regenerate from one small cutting once it’s placed in a cup full of water near a window. Is that sci-fi or what?!
Then once those spider-like roots form, just plant each branch in their own pot with some lush potting soil and watch them grow up to be a spitting image of their momma. There you have it. Free house plants for little to no effort. Gotta love philodendrons… when they’re not giving house plants a bad name.
How about you guys. Do you have any cheap house plant tips to share with the group? Any impossible to kill varieties that are tickling your fancy these days? Spill the house plant dirt.
Wanna know what other plants live here at Casa Petersik? Here’s the long and leafy breakdown.
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I have a black thumb and have a bunch of houseplants I haven’t killed: pothos, ZZ plant as previously mentioned and philodendrons.
Another tip:
For places that don’t get sunlight (my bathrooms) use Israeli Ruscus or Ruscus hypophyllum cuttings. They are available at your local florist (Kroger for me) and last for 8 months or so. ($4 for 8 months!)
There’s an apartment therapy post here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/good-questions/good-questions–073650