How to Propagate Carnivorous Plants Through Division

As carnivorous plants get older, the crowns begin multiplying. These crowns can crowd each other out making the plant less attractive. They also compete for resources, threatening the health of each crown. Through propagation you can give a boost to your original plant and create new carnivorous plants. The easiest method of propagation for carnivorous plants is division of the crowns.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take the carnivorous plant out of the pot. If it does not come out easily, hold the plant gently with one hand and gently tap the sides and bottom of the pot with the other. The plant may pop out all at once, so be ready to catch it.

2. Shake off excess soil. Hold the plant at its base and slowly shake the root ball. Shake the soil off into the pot or a bowl so you can use it to refill the pot later.

3. Find the individual crowns. With the loose soil shaken off you'll see the main crown of leaves and smaller crowns of leaves growing around the sides of the main crown. You'll use division on these smaller crowns.

4. Separate the crowns. Gently pull the smaller crowns away from the primary crown. A key to division is keeping as many roots attached to each crown as possible.

5. Put each carnivorous plant propagation into a new pot. Fill each pot with the same potting mix as the mother plant.

6. Care for each carnivorous plant like a mature plant. Unlike other propagation methods, the plants are mature immediately after the division because they have leaves and a full root system.

Tips & Warnings

• Untangle the roots of each crown before making the division to help get more roots with each crown.
• If you pull a crown out without getting any roots, dip the base of the crown in rooting hormone powder to encourage the growth of new roots.
• Avoid packing the potting mix down after filling the pots. The potting mix must be kept light and airy to help the roots grow.