PLANT BABY MAKING: AIR LAYERING

Words by Jessica Peace

 

We use this to multiply our Mother-in-Law’s tongue and Fiddle Leaf Figs but try it on any ‘woody’ branch in your gaff.

Basically, you are ‘wounding’ the stem and wrapping it up and leaving it until a plant baby is born. Boom.

Extra bits you’ll need…

‘Sphagnum moss’ OR cotton wadding

Rubber band OR string

Bit of plastic (cut some from your drinking bottle/ yogurt pot etc.)

Bit of clear plastic bag/cling film to make a ‘slieve’,

1. Soak your moss/cotton.
2. Choose a healthy, woody stem and remove foliage (REMEMBER, for this one you are keeping the stem ATTACHED - don’t get carried away!)
3. Think in ‘thirds’. Position your cut ⅓ up your stem and only cut ⅔ deep in a diagonal slope beneath the node (nobbly bit).
4. Shove your bit of plastic into your ‘wound’ to stop any ‘healing’. (Sounds brutal but childbirth is mate.)
5. Wrap Up your wound with cotton/moss and clear plastic.
6. Tie it up with you rubber bands/ strings; this can be bound to the main plant for support.
7. Wait mate… In about 6-8 weeks you should see some roots poking out.
8. Chop it off and plant up.

Congratulations you’ve given birth to a new plant baby.