How to Root an Obliqua Node Cutting

Today I figured I’d go over how I root my obliqua cuttings! These directions will work for just about any node cutting of monsteras, philodendron, etc. Node cuttings are cuttings of plants that often do not contain any leaves. For example, monstera obliquas send out “runners,” which are large strands of growth with multiple nodes on them. These runners can be cut up and rooted to create new plants.

Choosing the Cutting

First you have to make sure you have a viable cutting! Unfortunately, there are many people out there who sell and trade cuttings without nodes. The node is the part of the plant that will produce new growth. You can’t make a new plant without it!

So before getting scissor happy and cutting up your precious babies, look at where you should cut. And before purchasing that cutting of that plant you just have to have, inspect the cutting. Ask for lots of photos of the cutting as well as the mother plant.

How to Root the Cutting

I like to root my my more sensitive cuttings in sphagnum moss. There are many containers you can use to root your cutting. I personally like to root my cuttings in our 2.25 inch clear nursery pots so I can see any new growth. You can also use plastic sandwich bags or any other plastic container. Sandwich baggies are also a great way to add humidity over your propagation pots.

Old Chinese food containers are an easy way to create a humid propagation environment for node cuttings. Place a layer of moist, not wet, sphagnum on the bottom of the container. You can even add perlite to the moss for a more airy feel.

Place your node cutting ontop of the moss. Close the container, place it under a grow light or in a window, and you are good to go! I like to open these propagation boxes for fresh air about once a day. This lets me take time to check the cutting for any rot or other oddities. It also gives me a moment to check the humidity and dampness inside the container.

For the more advance grower, you can also root directly in a nice chunky potting mix. Some of my obliqua cuttings I just let hang out on top of some potting mix in a humid environment (like inside a terrarium or cloche). Within a few months they will develop roots. With enough patience, you will see new growth emerge! Here is a photo of an obliqua node that I rooted directly into one of our 2.25 inch clear nursery pots with our potting mix.

Be Patient!

This cutting took about 4 months to get to this point. The time it takes to root and develop new growth really depends upon your environment, and what time of year it is.

I kept this cutting in a reptile terrarium purchased from PetSmart that I converted into a grow tank. I rooted this cutting in winter, but I keep my plants in a temperature and humidity controlled room with grow lights.

First the cutting began to root into the substrate. Once it was well established, it pushed out this new leaf growth! Make sure to be patient with your cutting. It’s tempting to check on it and touch it every day but you really need to try not to! Plants want to grow. The more you leave them alone and let them do their thing, the better off they will be.

I hope this inspires you to root your own node cuttings!

If you have any questions or issues with your own plants, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or email us.