A cutting doesn’t have roots yet: it has to grow them, in a medium that’s moist but airy. Too much water and it rots. Too dry and it shrivels. A seedling needs fine, light soil that doesn’t form a crust. In both cases, two minerals make the difference: perlite and vermiculite.
Two minerals, two roles
- Perlite: small, very light white granules. It creates air in the mix and lets water drain away. It prevents rot.
- Vermiculite: golden flakes that soak up water like a sponge and release it gradually. It keeps the moisture young roots need.
Together, they provide the balance you’re looking for: neither dry nor soggy. That’s what our perlite and vermiculite mix offers, ready to mix in, in 1, 2 or 5 litres. To compare them with other ingredients, see perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana, coco chips.
The right mixes
- Seedlings: half perlite and vermiculite mix, half fine potting soil.
- Stem cuttings: the mix on its own, well moistened, or half and half with potting soil.
- Repotting houseplants: about one part mix to three or four parts potting soil, to lighten it. Our Signature Potting Mix already contains it.
Taking cuttings from a Pothos, Monstera or Philodendron
- Cut a stem with at least one node — the small bump where the leaf and aerial roots start — and one or two leaves. Cut just below the node, with a clean tool.
- Remove the lower leaf if it would be buried.
- Fill a small pot with drainage holes with moistened mix, and push the stem in so the node is buried.
- Cover with a clear bag or a cut-off bottle to keep the moisture in, airing it every day.
- Place in bright light, out of direct sun, somewhere warm.
- Keep the mix moist, never soggy. Roots appear within two to six weeks: slight resistance when you pull gently is the sign.
And seedlings?
Sow on the surface or barely covered with a thin layer of vermiculite, which keeps moisture in without crusting and lets through the light some seeds need to germinate. Water by misting with a fine-mist spray bottle so you don’t move the seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Cuttings in water or in a mix?
Water works well for Pothos or Philodendron, but roots grown in water adapt less well to soil afterwards. In the mix, the cutting grows soil roots from the start.
When should I feed a cutting?
Not until it has roots and new leaves. After that, a light feed of our compost tea root feed, at the usual dose.
What about cacti?
Vermiculite holds too much water for them: see cactus potting mix.
Need an opinion?
Send a photo of your plant to our Plant Doctor: the whole plant, a close-up of a leaf (top and underside) and the surface of the soil. The diagnosis is free. You can also drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour, Aviation district, Rabat.
