Fittonia Propagation

Fittonia is a lovely and elegant variety of flowering plants. Fittonia plants are also known as ‘nerve plants’ because they have distinct striking markings on their leaves that resemble nerve-like patterns. A healthy Fittonia plant would have a cluster of green leaves patterned with distinctive yellow, red, white, or pink-colored lines. The plant's widespread name, Nerve Plant, is derived from these eye-catching nerve-like lines/patterns. Fittonia is also known as the 'mosaic plant' or 'painted net leaf.' 

If you are a Fittunia enthusiast and wish to know how to propagate your Fittonia, you’re at the right place. To learn about Fittoria propagation, keep reading on.

Reasons for Fittonia Propagation

Propagation is beneficial for a variety of reasons. You might desire more plants for your collection or to give as presents to your friends. There will be no lack of interested takers since they're so eye-catching. It may also be possible that your initial plant has become exhausted or bushy, necessitating a new start.

Time for Fittonia Propagation

Spring is an excellent season to take cuttings and start growing new plants to add to your collection. While cuttings may be taken all across the summer, the Fittonia begins to put forth luxuriant new growth in the spring and early summer, which lends itself to additional multiplication.

Fittonia Propagation

The easiest way to propagate Fittonia is to take stem cuttings and propagate them in water or soil. They may also be grown from seed, although this is more time-consuming and difficult. Fittonia plants are simple to produce, but they need high humidity, continuous wetness, and bright, indirect light to thrive.

Things To Do for The Cuttings

You should examine the plant from which you wish to undertake cuttings very carefully. Healthy shoots that have plenty of robust development are what you're searching for. Longer stems are preferred since the cutting will be stripped of the lowest few leaves. Cut off as much as you need using scissors or sharp pruners, but not so much that the parent plant looks too barren. Trim the foliage from the stem's lowest inch (2.5cm). Trim any surplus leaves from cuttings with a lot of leaves so that you will only have one or two leaf pairs at the stem's tip. This will lessen the chance of the cutting wilting due to excessive transpiration.

Fittonia Propagation in Soil

• Step 1: 
  For your cuttings, arrange several tiny plant pots or seed trays. A decent alternative is a general-purpose houseplant potting mix or a mixture of 2/3 peat and 1/3 perlite. Immerse the potting mix in water for a few minutes to make it somewhat damp.
• Step 2: 
  Using a pencil or skewer, create tiny holes in the potting mix approximately half an inch deep for your cuttings. Soak the cuttings in rooting hormone if desired. This can help with propagation success, but it isn't required.
• Step 3: 
  Carefully place each cutting in the potting mix, firming it around the stem's base. To produce a humid climate, cover each plant with a glass jar or plastic bag. This will aid in reducing water loss and wilting, as well as increasing the likelihood of your plants rooting effectively.
• Step 4:
  Keep your cuttings in a warm, bright environment that isn't directly in the sun. Every so often days, check on your cuttings to make sure the soil is still wet.
• Step 5: 
  If you notice mold on the surface of the ground or leaves, expose the plant to the air to lower the humidity level. Within 4 weeks, your Fittonia will establish strong roots and begin to produce new leaves.

Fittonia Propagation in Water

Fittonia propagation in water is equivalent to propagating them on the soil. The benefits include being able to observe the roots grow and determining if they are suitable to be potted. While propagated in water, I found that they are less prone to wilt, although their growth rate is a little slower. 

For propagating Fittonia in water, prepare your cuttings as mentioned above and follow these steps carefully. 

• Step 1:
  Pick a container to store your cuttings in. A decent choice is glass, jar, or glass bottle. If you intend on propagating plants frequently, a water propagation column helps make things a lot easier.
• Step 2:
  Fill the container halfway with lukewarm water. If you reside in a hard water location, rainfall or distilled water may be more effective. The cuts' base should be submerged at all times. If the water level begins to fall, simply top it off so the stem's base is continually immersed.
• Step 3:
  Keep the cuttings in a warmer, well-lit area with indirect lighting. There's no need to cover your water-grown cuttings because the evaporation of the standing water will improve local humidity.
• Step 4:
  Change the water if it becomes hazy or algae begin to form.
• Step 5:
  You can replant the cuttings into different pots if they have a bunch of new roots and some leaf growth.

Conclusion

Using stem cuttings and propagating them in water or soil is a simple way to propagate Fittonia. The success rate will be substantially improved by providing bright, indirect light, high humidity, and continuous wetness. There is no "down" period for these tropical plants. These window plants flourish and thrive all year if you give them the correct environment. You may encourage your plants to wander along or flow over the edge of hanging baskets depending on how they were planted. They can easily become your best friends with a little tender loving care!