Pruning your prayer plant (Maranta leuconera) should always be a part of the regular care of your plant. But propagating your prayer plant through stem cuttings is a fabulous method to get more out of your plant without harming the parent plant in the least. In fact, propagating your prayer plant can make your parent plant look more bushy and healthy by adding the newly grown plants into the same pot as the parent.

You can grow your collection of prayer plants in separate pots throughout your home. Gift them to friends and family as a highly personal present from your home to theirs. Or take your cuttings to a local plant/seed swap and trade for another kind of plant you don’t have! The possibilities are endless.

I’ve owned my red-veined maranta since the Spring of 2016. And in that time, I’ve made a lot of stem cuttings. Making cuttings of my maranta keeps my plant from getting too leggy, from breaking its branches, and it has let me share my love of this plant with friends and family. What’s better than one prayer plant? Multiple prayer plants, of course!

Can a Prayer Plant Propagate in Just Water?

Many plants can propagate beautifully in just water, prayer plants included. This means that they can grow roots and thrive as long as you keep them in clean water. The emphasis here is on clean water. Ideally, you should change the water out every other day or so. That said, if you only change it out once a week, your plant will likely still survive.

Changing out the water in the jar that your cutting is sitting in will reduce the spread of mold which can kill your cutting. Plus, regular water changes make sure that there’s enough oxygen in the water for your plants to use. This will speed the time it takes for your prayer plant to grow roots.

When Should You Make Cuttings of a Maranta?

The variety of your maranta will play a big role in when you should prune back your plant and make cuttings. Some varieties are compact around a central point, while others will grow long branches that drape around its pot. All prayer plants respond well to regular pruning, and these clippings don’t go to waste! If you prune correctly, not only will your main plant benefit, but you’ll be able to propagate new prayer plants from the cuttings that you take.

Pruning should generally occur in the Spring or Summer. Though, I admit, that I’ve also pruned in the early Autumn as well. As long as your plant gets plenty of light and water, it’ll be happy to shed any excess weight.

Sometimes your maranta will tell you when it needs pruning. The excess weight of long branches may cause branches to split and even break off. This is a sure sign the plant is ready for a trim that will shed a few ounces. In these cases, your maranta is looking for more soil to propagate on its own and will benefit from pruning.

Your plant may also present a branch of leaves that are beginning to die off from the base of the plant, leaving living leaves at the branch tip. In this case, your plant is doing the pruning for you. If left alone, the entire branch will die off, and you’ll have to cut off the dead weight anyway. Help the plant out and give it a trim before the whole branch dies. Save the still-living sections of your maranta’s branch to propagate new plants.

Where Do You Cut a Prayer Plant for Propagation?

When propagating your prayer plant from stem cuttings, it’s important to know where to cut. You need to be aware of both leaves and root nodes to make sure your cutting has what it needs to make a good start in life.

Leaves are important because your plant won’t have a root system to start with. So you need to keep 2 to 3 leaves at the top when you make your cutting. This will allow the plant to draw in sunlight to gather the nutrients it needs to grow roots.

Root nodes on a cutting are highly important too. Prayer plants have root nodes along their stems that grow into rooting systems to support the plant when introduced to soil or water. When you make your cutting, make sure that you have root nodes included for it to survive.

What Does a Root Node Look Like?

Root nodes on a prayer plant are located at the “elbow” of the plant. This is one part of the branch that creates the classic leaf-folding “prayer” movement at night that gives the plant its common name. The root nodes themselves look like tiny bumps along that “elbow”. If you locate a perfect branch with 2-3 leaves and an “elbow” that doesn’t have visible root nodes, that’s still a great cutting. The root nodes are still there, just less visible on younger parts of the branches.

When you’re propagating your prayer plant from stem cuttings, you need to make sure that you cut about an inch below that “elbow”. This is the part of the stem that roots will grow from and produce a successful new plant.

If you have a leaf that is near the “elbow”, you should cut it away too. It will end up partially or fully underwater and likely won’t survive the rooting process anyway.

What is the Best Angle to Make Cuttings for Propagation?

Marantas are very forgiving plants when it comes to propagating them by stem cuttings. You can cut the stem straight across and your cutting will probably be just fine. But it doesn’t hurt to give them a little extra help. Cutting the stem at a 45 degree angle gives the stem more surface area to draw in water and will help the plant in its initial days before it produces roots.

How Long Does It Take to Propagate a Prayer Plant?

Prayer plants take about 4 to 6 weeks to develop roots when making stem cuttings for propagation. You can plant the cuttings once the roots are about an inch long, but I tend to wait until the root system is more established. My go-to method is to wait until the roots are as long as my index finger (about 3 inches – yes, I have small hands) before placing the prayer plant cuttings in soil. This gives them a strong base to connect with their surroundings and begin to establish themselves in their new environment.

Step By Step: How To Propagate Prayer Plants From Stem Cuttings

1. Select a branch with 2-3 leaves and a prominent “elbow” with root nodes.
2. Use a clean pair of sharp scissors to cut about 1 inch below the “elbow” at a 45 degree angle.
3. Cut away any leaf near the root nodes that will be underwater during the rooting process.
4. Place your cutting(s) in a budding vase or other small container of water.
5. Change the water every other day at most, or every week at least.
6. After 4-6 weeks roots should have emerged.
7. When the roots are between 1-3 inches, the new plant is ready to plant in soil.

That’s All There Is To It!

Now you’re ready to make the most of your beloved prayer plant. Make your parent prayer plant more full by planting your baby plants in the same pot, or spread the love and give them homes of their own. After all, the more plants, the merrier!

Want to know all about caring for your prayer plant (and your new cuttings) properly? Look no further than this post: Living on a Prayer Plant.

What about propagating other plants in water? Check out How to Propagate Plants in Water for some general tips and tricks.