How to Propagate from Cane Cuttings

Last Updated: August 23, 2021 References Approved

“Canes” are another name for the thick stems on plants like Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) and Dracaena (Corn Plant, Ribbon Plant, Lucky Bamboo).^{[1]
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Research source} While these plants can be a beautiful addition to your home, they can look a bit leggy and cluttered once they start overcrowding their pots. Not to worry—take some cuttings to thin your existing plants and start a few new ones! We’re here to walk you through each step of the process so you can decorate your home with even more beautiful plants.

Method 1

Method 1 of 9:
Fill several planting pots with a potting medium.

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Grab a bag of peat, sphagnum moss, perlite, sand, or vermiculite.^{[2]
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Research source} Fill each pot about 75-80% of the way full with your potting medium so your cuttings have plenty of room to spread their roots.^{[3]
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- A traditional, medium-sized clay planting pot works well for this. Pick up 1 clay pot for every cutting you plan on replanting.
- Cane cuttings spread roots more quickly in sphagnum moss than sand.^{[4]
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- Dracaena cuttings can be planted in traditional bagged potting soil.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 9:
Cut the leafy portion off an overgrown houseplant.

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Cutting off the leaves gives you easier access to the cane. Using a rag, coat the blade of a sharp knife with hydrogen peroxide, which sterilizes the surface. Then, cut off the leafy section of the plant, leaving a long section of cane dangling over the planting pot’s rim. This is where you’ll take your cane cuttings from.^{[6]
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- An especially large, leafy Dumb Cane plant might leave you with over 1 ft (30 cm) of harvestable cane.

Method 3

Method 3 of 9:
Slice the cane into 2 in (5.1 cm) segments.

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Most plant canes are naturally divided into small nodes. Cut 1-2 of these nodes off the end of your old houseplant’s stem to create a single cutting.^{[7]
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Research source} In general, these 1-2 node cuttings should be about 2 to 2 ¹⁄₂ in (5.1 to 6.4 cm) long.^{[8]
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- Each cane cutting equals 1 new houseplant. For instance, if you’d like 4 new dumb cane houseplants, you’d take 4 cuttings off the original plant.
- A sharp knife can easily cut through a plant’s cane.^{[9]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 9:
Treat the cane cuttings in fungicide or activated charcoal.

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Dip both ends of your cutting into the treatment. Then, set the cuttings aside for a few hours and wait for the fungicide or activated charcoal to dry completely.^{[10]
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Research source} You can purchase fungicide and activated charcoal online, or at your local big-name retail store.
- Fungicide helps prevent your cuttings from getting infected.^{[11]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} Plant experts don’t recommend using a specific type of fungicide for this, so just use a product that’s designed for plants.^{[12]
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- According to some studies, activated charcoal can help speed up propagation.^{[13]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}

Method 5

Method 5 of 9:
Insert the cutting directly into the potting mix.

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You can place your cutting vertically or horizontally in the potting medium.^{[14]
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Research source} When planting vertically, bury the bottom 1 in (2.5 cm) of the cutting in the potting medium. When planting horizontally, place your cutting on top of the potting mixture.^{[15]
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- If you’re planting your cuttings vertically, bury the end of the cutting that was closest to the parent stem’s base.
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Method 6

Method 6 of 9:
Cover the cane cutting with a scoop of the potting medium.

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Your cutting needs extra potting mix to grow. Scoop a handful or 2 of extra potting mixture into the container around the base of your vertical cuttings. Using your fingers, press the soil along the base of the stem. About 1 to 1 ¹⁄₂ in (2.5 to 3.8 cm) of your vertically-placed cuttings should still stick out of the pot.^{[16]
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- Cover any horizontally-planted cuttings with a thick layer of your potting medium.

Method 7

Method 7 of 9:
Water the cuttings once every other day.

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Try to keep a watering can handy by your plants. If you have a Dumb Cane or dracaena plant, water the potting medium until it feels moist. Then, wait until the soil dries out before watering it again.^{[17]
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Method 8

Method 8 of 9:
Give your cuttings the recommended amount of sunlight.

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Dumb cane and dracaena plants need different amounts of sunlight. For your dumb cane plants, find a spot in your home where your plants can get partial shade.^{[19]
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Research source} Try to find a spot in your home where your plant can get about 3-6 hours of sunlight each day without being exposed to the harsh, mid-day sun.^{[20]
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Research source} Dracaena plants do better in partial sunlight, like the edge of a sunny, south-facing window.^{[21]
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Method 9

Method 9 of 9:
Wait 2-3 months for your cuttings to grow.

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Cane cuttings grow pretty quickly, but you won’t see progress right away. Keep your potted cuttings in a sunny or partially sunny area, keeping the soil moist throughout the week. With regular watering, you should notice some growth progress in about 2-3 months!^{[22]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can you use soil for this?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Experts actually suggest using a more specific potting mixture, like peat, sphagnum moss, perlite, sand, or vermiculite.
Question

When I make a cane cutting, can I root it by placing it in dirt?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, you can! You can stick your cutting vertically into your potting mixture or nestle it horizontally on top. Cover your horizontal cuttings with your potting mix, and make sure any vertical cuttings are nestled at least 1 in (2.5 cm) into the soil.
Question

Can this propagation method work on woody stemmed dracaenas, such as Dracaena draco? If not, how would I go about it air layering?

Ninox

Top Answerer

The right method is close to this one. You need the top of the plant instead of the lower parts. The cutting must be only half-buried.