During the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems that many of us are longing for greenery as we are in quarantine for a certain period of time. Plant propagation is one of the leisure activities that can help us get in touch with nature again, and it is also a hobby regularly done by our horticulturists with their passion for planting and gardening. In theory, plant propagation is the process of increasing the number of plants with the goal of conserving their traits and genetics. It can also be seen as a method of reproducing new plants without having to buy new ones from the market while utilizing both knowledge and practice together as a whole.
Of course, not only aesthetic, but trees are also beneficial in many other ways, especially the fact that they help heal our minds. Based on the concept of ‘Biophilia,’ which states an ideology that humans are subconsciously attached to and seek a natural environment and ecosystem. As a result, decorating the interiors and working spaces with newly propagated plants can eventually help soothe our mind, alleviate stress and enhance productivity while allowing us to use the space longer than usual. However, Biophilia doesn’t only need to be created with real plantings. It can also be achieved by natural-like materials, organic patterns, birds tweeting sounds, water features, and even open or comfy private space arrangements too. Living in the time that new diseases will arise without knowing, Plant Propagation might then be an alternative activity or hobby that can be easily done and give us some delight amidst bad days. Indeed, these methods can also be adapted further in landscape designing too.

To begin with, our horticulturists choose to reproduce the ones found in our office space, which are softwood species with crawling stems, dense branching, and lateral growth. Requiring no additional biostimulants for their roots, they are easier to propagate than hardwood. For the plants to be further propagated by our team, there are altogether 10 softwood plants found in our garden, listed below.
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Zamioculcas zamiifolia หรือ กวักมรกต
Sansevieria trifasciata หรือ ลิ้นมังกร
Philodendron burle-marxii หรือ ฟิโลเดนดรอนเขียวมรกต
Philodendron squamiferum หรือ ฟิโลเดนดรอนก้ามกุ้ง
Epipremnum aureus หรือ พลูด่าง
Monstera sp. ‘Karstenianum’ หรือ พลูปีกนก
Monstera obliqua หรือ พลูฉลุ
Asparagus densiflorus หรือ ปริกน้ำค้าง
Plectranthus amboinicus หรือ หูเสือ
Ficus lyrata หรือ ไทรใบสัก
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Although there are 2 types of plant propagation: Sexual and Asexual propagation, our horticulturists utilize only the sexual propagation method since it is more convenient. It allows us to reproduce new plants directly from only one parent plant without needing the union of sex cells. It can be done in various ways such as cuttings, layering, division, separation, and grafting. The process starts by taking some part of the parent plant.

1.1 Root Suckering: Suitable for plants that have no seeds, branches, or ones that have an irregular form. Suitable plants for root suckering: Snake plant Emerald palm, Asparagus fern
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Step 1: Take the selected plant which is in the tillering stage out of the existing pot. Trim out its rhizome and dry leaves.
Step 2: Cut it with a clean knife or scissors into pieces by still leaving the new shoot
Step 3: Prepare a new separate pot and fill the planting soil for a half. Put the new cut piece into the new pot and fill the planting soil until it’s full. Press the soil firmly, give some water, and put the finished pot in a spot with dim sunlight. After that, when it becomes more firm, we can then move it to the preferred spot.
Step 4: In the case of propagating in water (only for the Snake plant), just put the selected plant, which is in the tillering stage, into the prepared container with water. Put it in a spot with dim sunlight. After that, when its roots start to come out, we can then move it to the preferred spot.

1.2. Cuttings: Suitable for many types of plants. It means taking out a cutting, a vegetative part of the plant from the parent plant in order to grow in an appropriate environment and grow into a new plant
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Suitable plants for leaf cuttings and stem cuttings: Fiddle-leaf fig, Philodendron pedatum., Window-leaf, Philodendron erubescens K.Koch & Augustin., Golden Hunter’s Rolae, Monstera sp. ‘Karstenianum’, Indian borage
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Step 1: Choose a firm branch without disease, pest, or insects
Step 2: Cut off its petiole by clean knife or scissors
Step 3: Prepare a plant pot with soil or growing material. Give some water and put the piece into it.
Step 4: In the case of propagating in water, soak the petiole piece in water to stimulate its roots to grow. Put it in a spot with dim sunlight. After that, when its roots start to come out, we can then move it to the preferred spot.

1. Avoid putting the new plants near the mirror or where they get direct sunlight because this will make the leaves burning and slow down the growth
2. Try watering the new plants regularly during the first and second weeks in order to stimulate root growth. We can also water them directly to keep them humid all the time together with spraying some water every two days.