How to Layer Ivy
Ivies are easy-to-care-for plants in the Hedera genus, grown for their attractive foliage and vining habit. Used as houseplants, ivies are also cultivated outdoors as groundcover or to cover fences and walls. Air layering is a propagation method in which the stem remains on the plant while producing roots. It is one of the easier methods of propagating ivy and is suitable for both the indoor and outdoor grown plant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bowl
- Sphagnum peat moss
- Sharp knife or scalpel
- Cotton swab
- Rooting hormone
- Plastic wrap
- String
Instructions
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1
Soak a handful of sphagnum peat moss in a bowl of water.
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2
Choose an older part of the ivy to layer. Stems at least 1 year old work best.
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3
Remove the leaves above and below the rooting point, leaving 2 to 3 inches of bare stem.
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4
Use a sharp knife or scalpel to remove a ½-inch-wide piece of the outer bark in the center of the bare part of the ivy stem.
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5
Dip a cotton swab into the rooting hormone and pat the hormone on the cut portion of the ivy stem.
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6
Squeeze the excess moisture from the sphagnum peat moss and wrap it around the cut portion of the ivy stem.
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7
Wrap plastic wrap around the moss to keep it from drying out. Tie string around the top and bottom edges of the plastic wrap to hold it in place.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The ivy should produce roots in one month. Cut it from the plant at that time.
To create additional ivy plants, repeat the procedure at each curve of the vine, making the cut at the lower part of the curve.
After cutting the ivy from the mother plant, pot it up in a quality potting soil. Place the pot in a plastic bag to provide the cutting with humidity during its first week.
References
- North Dakota State University Extension Service: Questions on Ivy
- University of Missouri Extension: Home Propagation of Houseplants
- Plant Propagation; Alan Toogood
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
