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Bow hemp (Sansevieria), colloquially known as mother-in-law's tongue, is one of the most popular indoor plants. The attractive plant with the broad, characteristically upright leaves is easy to care for and long-lived. In addition, the plant is considered to purify the air and is said to filter pollutants from the air. In order to have a measurable effect, however, you would need to have quite a few of these plants on the windowsill. That's not a problem either, after all, bow hemp can be propagated very well via cuttings.

materials and tools

In order for the cuttings to succeed, you need these materials and tools:

  • a healthy mother plant
  • a sharp, smooth-cut knife
  • alternatively, large and sharp scissors
  • for very large, thick leaves, a knife with a serrated blade
  • a disinfectant
  • Plant pot or bowl with a wide opening
  • a small watering can with a shower attachment
  • alternatively a spray bottle
  • a solid cutting board
  • a waterproof pen (e.g. Edding)
  • suitable substrate
Bow Hemp, Sansevieria

Make sure that the mother plant to be propagated is healthy and shows no signs of disease or pest infestation - both of which would be passed on to the young plants immediately.

The disinfectant is also used to prevent diseases, because you should use it to clean knives or scissors and thus kill any pathogens. Plant diseases are often transmitted via contaminated cutting tools, which is why hygiene is so important at this point. Knives or scissors should also be freshly sharpened, because blunt tools lead to bruises and injuries that are quickly colonized by fungi and the like.

Tip: You can also use ethanol or isopropyl alcohol (both available in pharmacies) to disinfect. Drinking alcohol with at least 60% alcohol content or Primasprit are also suitable for this purpose.

substrate

Various Internet guides like to recommend using a mixture of 3 parts commercially available potting soil and one part sand for the cultivation of Sansevieria cuttings. You don't have to bother with this, because ready-made cactus soil or potting soil serves the same purpose.

potting soil

It is only important that the substrate is as nutrient-poor as possible. If the nutrient content is too high (such as in "undiluted" potting soil, which is often pre-fertilized), no roots will develop from leaf cuttings - and the cut leaves without roots cannot absorb any nutrients at all. In addition, the substrate should be loose and well drained, because even bow hemp cuttings do not tolerate (logged) moisture.

The following substrates are also not suitable for propagating bow hemp:

  • Pre-fertilized indoor plant substrate (green plant soil, potting soil, etc.)
  • Planting or humus soil
  • compost soil
  • Clay granules and similar mineral-based substances
  • peaty soils

If you only have such soil in stock and do not want to buy an extra substrate, then mix such a substrate with sand. In this way you lean it so that it can be used for the cuttings. A ratio of 3:1 is ideal, or even 4:1 in very nutrient-rich soil.

Tip: Young plants are sensitive to germs. Since substrates contain a lot of germs, it is advisable to sterilize the ready-mixed soil beforehand. Get them really wet and heat them up in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes to around 100 °C, or alternatively for ten minutes at the highest level in the microwave. However, it usually works without it.

Appropriate species and varieties

Bow Hemp, Sansevieria cylindrica

There are six different species and numerous varieties. In principle, all varieties of bow hemp can be propagated via cuttings or offshoots, but there are a few special features to consider depending on the species.

If you multiply multicolored Sansevierias such as the popular Sansevieria trifasciata, which often have marbled leaves or leaves with yellow vertical stripes, using leaf cuttings, the resulting young plants will always be green. The characteristic of different colors is not inherited in this form of propagation, so that the green wild form comes through again in the offspring. If you want to grow these bow hemp varieties in multiple colors, propagation by division is recommended.

You should not cut the leaves of thin-leaved species such as Sansevieria francisii or Sansevieria parva, but rather leave them whole. These fine leaves dry out quickly and the propagation of cuttings fails. Use the smallest possible leaves.

Cut and plant cuttings

Once all the preparations have been made and all the necessary tools are ready, you can now get down to the actual work: cutting and planting the cuttings. Here's how to do it:

  • Select a particularly beautiful, strong leaf.
  • Cut this off just above the ground.
  • Cut it into pieces about five to four inches long.
  • Mark the bottom parts of the leaf pieces with a pen.
  • Clipped scalloped hemp will only continue to grow if planted correctly.

  • "Right way around" means that the original direction of growth must be maintained.
  • Let the leaf pieces dry for a day or two.
  • Place them in a warm, dry place.
  • The thicker the leaf pieces, the longer they should dry.
  • Then plant them in the prepared substrate.
  • Insert the leaf pieces into the soil with the marked spots facing down.
  • They should be about a third deep in the substrate.

Now slightly moisten the substrate and place the planter in a warm and bright location. A window facing west or east is ideal. Keep the soil constantly moist (not wet!) and be patient - it may take a few months for the young plants to show up.

Tip: Incidentally, you don't need a separate pot for each piece of leaf, instead simply put several close together in a planter.

Care of the cuttings

In the next few months, the young sheet hemp cuttings do not need too much attention. It is sufficient if they are bright and warm (temperatures around 24 °C are perfect) and are regularly moistened. The soil must not dry out, but it must not be wet either. Therefore, a spray bottle is best for water supply, so accidental dousing is not possible. You do not have to fertilize the offshoots, and a translucent cover (such as promotes the root development of cuttings of other plant species) is unnecessary.

Bow Hemp, Sansevieria trifasciata

With the right temperatures and sufficient light, it takes around three months for the actual young plants to appear alongside the leaf cuttings. The best time to propagate bow hemp is therefore the months of June to July, because it is sunny and warm enough here. In principle, you can cut and plant leaf cuttings all year round. As soon as the young plants grow, pull out the leaf pieces - they are only used for propagation and are no longer needed - and repot the offspring in a more nutrient-rich substrate. Now take care of them like any other bow tie.

Root bow hemp in a glass of water

Many people first root offshoots and cuttings in a glass of water and only plant them as soon as the first roots appear. In the case of arch hemp, rooting in a water glass is also possible, but makes little sense. Experience has shown that many of the offshoots treated in this way rot before they can even develop roots, and colonization by fungi or algae is also common. These also prevent good root growth and ensure that the cuttings die off. It is therefore better to plant bow hemp leaf cuttings in a suitable substrate instead of placing them in water.

Tip: The popular houseplant occasionally forms offshoots that are already rooted, which you simply have to cut off and pot separately when repotting in spring. This is a particularly easy way to multiply bow hemp.

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Indoor plants