This unusual house plant will steal the show in any space. A ‘Birkin’ is the lowest categorization for the Philodendron. The Birkin’s striped zebra-patterned leaves make it a popular addition to many homes.
Propagation is a fantastic way to expand your collection for no cost! There are two methods for reproducing this houseplant that is both pleasant, rewarding, and enjoyable.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to propagate a Philodendron Birkin to assist you in picking the path and how to follow it.
These amazing white striped plants are relatively easy to care for and add a unique touch to your decor. If you know what you’re doing, propagating your Philodendron Birkin doesn’t have to be difficult.
So we hope that this article will walk you through the entire process, from the instruments you’ll need to a step-by-step method, as well as any challenges you might encounter and some helpful hints for propagating Philodendron Birkin.
Things You Need
Let’s start with the simple stuff. Before you make the first cut, double-check that you have everything you need!
- Mature and in good health, Birkin’s Philodendron
- shears/scissors with a good edge
- Pot(s) that is not in use
- Water and fresh soil
- Newspaper or a sheet of plastic
- Peat moss, a toothpick, and plastic wrap (if you are using the air layering method)
How to Propagate a Philodendron Birkin?
Stem cuttings, division, and layering are the three basic techniques of propagation for Philodendron Birkins. Stem cuttings and division are the most frequent propagation methods, and they’re the ones we recommend if you’re new to houseplant propagation.
Step-by-step instructions for each method may be found below.
Method 1: Stem Cutting
Step 1: Find your stem cutting.
- To increase your chances of success while taking a stem cutting, make sure the part of the plant you’re cutting is healthy.
- You must also have one node at least in this section of your Philodendron Birkin.
- This is where the roots would emerge from a stem junction.
- If possible, choose a part of the plant with aerial roots, as this will result in a more mature plant with faster multiplication.
Step 2: Make the Cut
- To avoid passing on dirt or infection to the plant, cut with clean scissors/ shears or a knife.
- To increase the cutting surface area, make a clean cut across your plant diagonally with your instruments.
Step 3: Remove any lower-level leaves
- As you have to put your cutting in water for several weeks, therefore, carefully remove the leaves that may end up in the water from the lowest section of the cutting.
- If they sit in water for an extended period, they will decay, so it’s best to cut them off now.
Step 4: Fill your container with water
- Fill a glass halfway with fresh, lukewarm water to put your Philodendron Birkin cutting in.
- Make sure the water isn’t too cold or too hot, as this will shock or burn the cutting, killing it.
- It’s advisable to use purified water because chlorine and fluoride levels aren’t as high as tap water.
- Allowing the chemicals to evaporate by leaving the water out for 24 hours is an excellent approach to achieve this organically.
- You can also use filtered water or rainfall that has been collected.
Step 5: Put your cuttings in water.
- Make sure the nodes on the stem cutting are submerged in water so that the roots can begin to emerge.
- Place your glass in a bright yet shady area.
- Intense light will harm the cutting and prevent it from propagating successfully.
- A light monitor may be used to determine whether your Philodendron Birkin cuttings are receiving enough sunshine.
- An LED grows light, which is wonderful for promoting development in cuttings, and can also supplement sunshine levels.
- You can apply the rooting hormone at this point to accelerate root growth.
Step 6: Replace the water regularly.
- It’s critical to keep your propagation station’s water fresh, so change it out every couple days.
- This keeps it bacteria-free and prevents it from stagnating and stinking.
Step 7: Remove your cuttings and place them in a potting mix
- You can pot your Philodendron Birkin cutting into the soil once the roots are longer than a few centimeters.
- To help with drainage and aeration, use a high-quality potting mix.
- Place your cutting carefully into the mix, being careful not to damage the fragile freshly created roots, and continue to care for your Philodendron Birkin as usual.
Method 2: Division
This strategy will only work if your Philodendron Birkin has numerous offshoots that all come from the same mother plant. If your plant has one offshoot, you’ll need to apply stem cutting or layering techniques.
Step 1: Track down the numerous offshoots
- If your Philodendron Birkin has multiple offshoots, it will be clear while looking for a portion of the plant to divide.
- They will be fully distinct, with development coming from the center of each part.
Step 2: Remove the plant from the pot
- You’ll need to remove the Philodendron Birkin from the pot once you’ve located the various pieces of the plant so you may divide the root system.
- Carefully pull the plant out of the potting mix and shake off the excess surrounding the roots.
- Running your fingers through the roots to separate them is a fantastic technique to loosen the soil.
Step 3: Distinguish the sections.
- If they don’t detangle readily, you may need to clip the unusual root, but you should pull the portions apart carefully.
- It’s fine if you have to slice around the plant a little to separate them.
- To aid propagation, make sure each section has a good share of the root system.
- When separating parts of the plant, always use shears instead of tugging the plant apart, as this can easily destroy it!
Step 4: Place in fresh potting mix or water
- Return the main mother plant to its original pot and decide whether the offshoot should be placed in water first or the potting mix right away.
- This is dependent on the size of the cutting and the root system’s maturity.
- If the offshoot has established roots, it will be just fine growing in potting soil.
- If you think the roots need to grow a little more, put them in water as an intermediate step.
Step 5: Maintain your usual routine of care
- You may treat your cutting like any other Philodendron Birkin if it’s now in fresh potting soil.
- If it’s in water at first, you’ll want to change the water every few days then repot the roots into the potting mix after they have matured.
Method 3: Air Layering
This approach is a little more difficult and fiddly, so we only recommend it if you’re a seasoned plant propagator!
Step 1: Look for a healthy stem
- If you’re using the air layering approach, make sure you’re using a healthy, robust section of the stem.
Step 2: Cut a vertical cut into the stem
- Make a vertical cut into the stem that is a couple of inches long with a clean knife.
- It should be around halfway through the stem.
Step 3: Enlarge the incision.
- Put a toothpick into the center to maintain the incision agape.
Step 4: Apply damp peat moss on the incision’s side.
- The peat moss should be tied around the stem with the cutting in place, keeping it wet but not waterlogged at all times.
Step 5: Cut off the stem once you see a new root
- After a few weeks, you should notice new roots emerging from the peat moss.
- Once you’ve noticed this, cut the cutting away from the main plant, remove the film, and pot the cutting into the fresh potting mix.
- Handle the cutting carefully because the new roots are fragile and easily injured.
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Final Remarks
Once you’ve propagated your Philodendron Birkin this way, you can start to cut new offshoots from the original plant. This will ensure that your beloved houseplant doesn’t die when you pass it on to another home.
We hope you enjoyed this comprehensive guide to propagating Philodendron Birkin. It’s never an exact science, and some cuttings will root more slowly than others, and sometimes it won’t work at all
However, you should achieve success if you use the correct methods, attention, and atmosphere.