OVERGROWN INDOOR PLANTS

Your

favourite ‘indoor’ plant may be a jungle giant in disguise.

Many indoor plants hail from tropical regions where they grow outdoors. And some reach lofty heights. The ever-popular fiddle leaf fig taps out at three metres when grown indoors but can reach 15 metres outdoors in its natural habitat. Olive trees look stunning potted indoors and can tolerate small pots but reach 10 metres in the wild. Rubber trees are common ‘fill a corner’ plants at home. They grow slowly and their stunning large leaves give the plant a bold but soft presence. Outdoors they grow 10 metres high and 3 metres wide, but as with most indoor plants, they don’t reach their full potential indoors.

While plants are smaller when grown indoors, not everyone has three-metrehigh ceilings! If you find your indoor plants are growing too big, it might be time to propagate.

Propagation is the act of growing new plants from parts of an existing source plant. Propagation uses roots, new shoots, or established stems. Different methods suit different plants. Get started with this fiddle leaf fig propagation guide.

How To Propagate Your Fiddle Leaf Fig

Cut

It’s possible to use a single leaf, but for a higher likelihood of success take a cutting at a node with 3 nodes above the cut line. A node is a slight thickening of the trunk between the leaves, often identified by crispy brown leaf casings or rings.

Grow

Check your cutting weekly for root growth. This can take 6+ weeks. And don’t give up! Some plants simply grow roots faster than others.

Kick-start

To boost your chances of success, dip the end of your cutting in rooting hormone before placing it in a jar of fresh water in indirect bright light.

Pot

Once you have several long roots it’s time to pot your cutting. Choose a small pot to avoid overwhelming the new roots and a nutritious, free-draining potting mix.

Pot size is not the only factor when it comes to the growth potential of indoor plants. In their natural habitat, plants have unbound roots, their ideal quantity of bright sunlight, and live in free-draining soil. When we bring them indoors, their small pots are packed with soil, we provide a few drainage holes but keep them moist for longer, and the light is dimmer.