Houseplants are an integral part of contemporary home design. If you've experienced the joy of having greenery in your home for some time already, you may have explored propagating your own plants by now, however, I doubt you'll have seen a setup as impressive as this.
If you're looking for a clever propagation idea that doesn't intrude on the valuable surface space inside your home, why not take your plant cuttings to your wall instead? A living wall can make a real statement out of propagating plants, and not only does it get our design approval, but it's also caught the eye of plant pros, too.
This is by far the simplest way to decorate with plants other than simply potting them up. Here, you can discover how to put this plant hack into practice will a little help and guidance from plant experts themselves.
If you want to be more creative with your plants and find a creative way to propagate, this creative trick from lifestyle creator Colby (@ThisisDrover) is the way to do it. Sharing the idea on her TikTok, she describes how she made a botanist-worthy propagation wall that really brightens up her bedroom.
This hack might look complicated and intricate, but you'll quickly see it isn't. All it requires is some mini glass test tubes which are then fixed to the wall and filled with water to house your cuttings. All that is left to do is snip a growth from the easiest plants to propagate and watch them grow.
@thisisdrover ♬ original sound - Colby | ThisisDrover
Avid DIYer Colby shares many innovative hacks, and this is just one of her trendy plant ideas as a self-proclaimed 'plant lady'. She explains that she simply glued small magnets to both the wall and test tube before arranging and attaching the mini vases on the wall.
Not only does it make a feature of your house plants it is also an effective way to grow new plants. Horticulturist and botanical designer, Nathan Heinrich praises the vertical garden idea seen in Colby's video. 'Not only is it satisfying to grow your own plants, it saves you money to propagate new plants rather than buying them,' he says.
Tips for successful propagating
According to Nathan propagation is always a good idea, however, he says you'll need to avoid some common houseplant propagation mistakes and master an understanding of the process before you get started.
Nathan's key takeaway is that some plants propagate better than others, something that's worth keeping in mind if you're starting your first venture into propagating. 'Tropical plants with very soft green stems and leaves such as Pothos and Philodendron are very easy to propagate in water,' he says. 'In the rainforests where they are native, they have adapted to thrive in highly humid and moist environments.'
'Often, they will sprout new roots or engage the air roots that are already started in just a few days,' he goes on to explain. 'Within a month or two you will have a brand new plant ready to transplant into a pot.'
Picking your environment is also very important, and not every wall will be appropriate for this hack. 'Houseplants need a bright area with indirect light to thrive,' Nathan says. 'The wall display in this video is positioned perfectly and clearly the plants are loving this location as all of the cuttings in the glass tubes have sprouted new roots.' When considering where to put your cuttings, think about access to light, and remember that windowless rooms are an instant no-go.
One final thing to be aware of with this hack in particular is the size of the tubes, Nathan adds. Although the smaller tubes allow for more cuttings to be displayed this might not always be the best option. 'The bigger the plants grow, the more water they'll require,' he says. 'Those skinny tubes hold a limited amount of water and they'll require regular refilling so the new roots don't become dehydrated.' So, if you don't want to be constantly topping up your plant's water supplies, consider opting for a slighting larger vessel in a freestanding stand, instead.
