In every grower’s journey, at some point, we move from purchasing plants and seeds to trying our hand at propagating our own.
Some plants are easy to propagate and those are a great place to start for beginners.
Orchids aren’t so easy and propagating species in the Orchidaceae family takes a bit of care and practice, as well as an understanding of their unique biology.
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I didn’t find my first experiences propagating orchids to be nearly as easy as reproducing monsteras, for example.
But I got there and now I can regularly propagate orchids I love at home.
The first time I propagated a Swiss cheese plant (Monstera spp.), it was by accident.
I had cut off some leaves for a floral display in a vase and left them in there for a couple of weeks.
By the time I went to throw them out, I lifted them out of the vase and was greeted by tons and tons of roots.
So while orchids certainly aren’t that easy to reproduce, it doesn’t have to be mystifying and in this guide, I’ll break it down into an easy-to-understand process.
There are several ways to go about orchid propagation, and we’ll talk about them all.
Here’s what’s to come:
Before we get started, it’s important to note that there are two types of orchid growth patterns: monopodial and sympodial.
Monopodial orchids have a single stem from which all of the leaves and flower stems emerge. Vanda and moth (Phalaenopsis spp.) orchids are monopodial.
Sympodial orchids have a horizontal rhizome from which multiple stems, leaves, and flower stems emerge. Cattleya (Cattleya spp.) and oncidium (Oncidium spp.) orchids are sympodial.
Each type has specific ways they can be propagated and not every method will work for both.
So before you get started, make sure you are clear about which type you are growing.
Before you do anything, be sure to sterilize your tools and wash your hands.
You can wash tools in hot, soapy water, or wipe them with isopropyl alcohol or a 10 percent bleach solution (nine parts water to one part bleach). Clean tools prevent the spread of the disease.
It also helps if your tools are extra sharp. Clean cuts mean less damage to the plant.
Any cut areas should be sprinkled or sprayed with copper fungicide.
Bonide Copper Fungicide
I like to dip cuttings in some copper dust because it’s quick and easy. You can find a pound or four pounds of Bonide Copper Dust at Arbico Organics.
Otherwise, I just use a spray and give the area a little spritz.
Ready to dive in?
1. From Seed
Growing orchids from seed requires being a bit of a mad scientist.
You’ll need a sterile workspace, a bunch of vials, and it doesn’t hurt to shout things like, “it’s alive!” when your seedlings germinate.
Seriously though, it takes a lot of time and precise work, but it can be extremely rewarding, especially if you temper your expectations.
Learn about how to propagate orchids from seed in our guide.
2. By Division
Division is a process that can be used for sympodial but not monopodial types.
Dividing a sympodial orchid and removing backbulbs – which we’ll go over later in this article – are similar processes, except when you are dividing the plant, you’re removing some of the current pseudobulbs with active growth rather than removing the leafless backbulbs.
You can actually do both types of propagation at once. It’s a twofer of orchid propagation.
To divide a sympodial orchid, remove the plant from the ground or the container it’s growing in and brush away the medium or dirt from around the roots.
Examine the rhizome and look for one or more areas where you can separate the plant. Each section you create should have some leaves or leaf nodes, some rhizome, and some roots emerging from the section of rhizome.
On larger plants, you can usually create a few divisions or you might want to take just one. It’s up to you.
Cut through the rhizome using a clean pair of clippers. You might need to detangle the roots or, if they’re quite badly tangled, cut through them as well.
While you’re in there, go ahead and remove any leafless backbulbs and propagate them as described below.
Trim off any dead leaves or dead roots.
Replant the two parts in separate pots or areas of the garden if you’re growing outdoors.
Make sure that the plants are sitting at the same height that they were originally, and after planting, add some water.
The divisions or the medium might settle a little and, if so, go ahead and add a bit more.
3. From Backbulbs
Backbulbs are the older bulbs of sympodial plants that have lost their leaves.
While the backbulbs typically don’t put out new growth when left to their own devices, you can “strike” them to encourage new growth.
You’ll need your sterilized pruners or knife and a new container filled with potting medium. It’s easiest to do this when you’re already dividing or repotting your orchid, but you can do it at any old time you want.
To propagate backbulbs, remove your orchid from the pot or ground and brush away the potting medium. Pull off any dried leaves since critters and pathogens can hide in the dead foliage.
Look for the spent bulbs and sever them from the rest of the rhizome by either twisting so they’ll snap at a natural separation point or cutting them with pruners or a knife.
After dipping the cut areas in copper fungicide, bury the backbulb in the same kind of soil or potting medium that you use to grow the plant, or in sphagnum moss.
A four-inch pot is a good size if you’re growing in a container. Bury the backbulb by two-thirds so just a third is sticking out of the soil.
After repotting you can simply treat the bulbs as you would a normal orchid, watering as usual and placing the pot in the appropriate lighting for the species.
You would need to upgrade the container size as needed for two or three years. Don’t feed the plant for the first year, but water it as much as you would an adult specimen.
If there isn’t any sign of new growth after a year, it’s likely that your bulb was a dud. It happens sometimes, don’t worry about it.
It probably wasn’t anything you did – unless you allowed the soil to dry out for an extended period.
As the bulbs grow, the leaves will emerge first, followed by roots. But the roots can take up to a year to start growing.
After a year from when you first noticed new growth, you can start fertilizing these orchids as you do the adult plants.
4. Via Offshoots
Not all orchid species put out offshoots or plantlets, but many do. They even have their own term, which is “keikis” (pronounced kay-keys), the Hawaiian term for “babies.”
Catasetum, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, and Vanda species all put out offsets.
These species will grow keikis on the stems and canes as they mature. Look for little leaf growths with lots of dangling roots along the stems.
Once the keiki has multiple roots and is a few inches long, it can be removed from the main plant.
Before you start working, sanitize your tools by wiping them with a 10 percent bleach solution, isopropyl alcohol, or hot, soapy water.
Find a small container to hold the plants. Don’t use plastic or anything else that isn’t breathable. Something like unglazed clay or terra cotta is best.
Clean out and sanitize the container if you’ve used it before.
Remove the stem just below where the roots of the keiki extend and cut off any excess stem above the offset.
Now you should have a small piece of stem with roots and little leaves attached. Pack sphagnum moss around the plant, keeping the leaves exposed. You’ll need enough moss to hold the plant securely once it’s in the pot.
Secure the keiki in the pot and moisten the moss well. Now, all you need to do is keep the moss moist and set the plant in a spot with bright, indirect light.
In a few weeks to a month or two, depending on the species, the plant will grow and secure new roots into the moss. The aerial parts will become larger.
When lots of new roots have formed and there are several new leaves, it’s time to repot the baby into a new pot.
This is when you can grab your typical orchid pot and fill it with a classic bark medium.
You’ll want to choose a small pot to begin with and you can upgrade as the plant grows, just as you would with any other orchid. A four- or five-inch pot is usually sufficient.
Gently remove the keiki from the moss and tuck it into the orchid medium. If some moss clings to the roots, no big deal, you can leave it in place.
5. From Stem Cuttings
Taking stem cuttings is sort of like doing division on a monopodial orchid. This is the best method to use for an orchid that has become all leggy and ugly, with big patches of bare stem.
Look for a spot somewhere in the middle of the stem that has some aerial roots. Use a sanitized pair of clippers to cut just below the roots.
Plant this section in a pot filled with an orchid mix and bury the aerial roots and an inch or so of stem in the mix. Set this in the same location as the parent plant and care for it as you would a mature specimen.
The lower part of the stem that you left behind will either put out new growth at its base or the orchid will send out new growth at the top where the cut was made.
When this growth is a few inches tall, you can separate it from the main stem as you would a keiki and plant it in its own container.
Welcome to the Propagation Party
While they aren’t as easy or intuitive to propagate as many common houseplants, reproducing your favorite orchids to expand your collection or give away to friends is entirely possible.
What types of orchids are you growing? Which propagation method are you going to try? Let us know in the comments section below and if you have any questions, ask away!
Once you have your new plants growing and thriving, you’ll want to learn more about how to make the most of them.
Here are a few other orchid guides to help you on your growing journey:
