How to Make a Simple DIY Home Plant Propagation System

Making your own plant propagation chamber is not a difficult task at all. For the home gardener who is only doing a few cuttings at a time propagate plants for friends and family a plant propagation chamber can be a VERY simple project. In fact you can put together a simple home plant propagation chamber can be made with one quick trip to the store (and you may even have what you need already around the house!)

What is a Plant Propagation System?

A plant propagation system is a chamber that is designed to maintain humidity around cuttings to increase the natural ability of the cuttings to form roots. A plant propagation box works like a greenhouse and reduces water loss through transpiration. The system can be very simple, as I’m highlighting here, and can be enhanced for increased success by adding misting misting systems.

In order to show you the simplest form possible for building an easy plant propagation system we aren’t getting into misting systems in this post. So let’s begin!

After you read this post if you would like more information on plant propagation please visit my page on Plant Propagation Information. It has a lot of useful info on propagating various plants. For some products that may help you in propagating plants visit my Plant Propagation Resources page.

What materials do you need to build your own home propagator?

One large clear or semi-transparent plastic container with a lid, soil medium, and some cuttings.

That’s all you really need – seriously. You could incorporate misting heads with water lines into the plastic container but for now, especially if you are just starting off with plant propagation, the one storage box is all you need.

I Have My Plastic Box, Now What?

The plastic box will be where you put the cuttings. The plastic container will keep humidity in the air around the cuttings and help reduce water loss while the cuttings themselves work on rooting.

Most of my plant propagation involves using sand as a medium (more on that in a minute). I also use (or I should say re-use) quite a few plastic containers. With the plant propagation chamber I can place my prepared cuttings separately in their own plastic containers directly into the box, water, and then wait.  Before too long the cuttings will be taking off in your plant propagation chamber. 

Because my cuttings are in individual containers I can remove those cuttings when rooted easily without disturbing other plants still trying to root. I’ve seen other plant propagation boxes where they put the rooting medium in the box itself without secondary containers and to me that won’t work as well. You may disturb other cuttings and if the soil medium becomes contaminated with a disease or mildew you may have to remove all the soil rather than just what was in that one sub container.

Plant Propagation Medium for Cuttings

When rooting plants I have done a lot of successful cutting in sand. It’s simple to find at the local hardware or landscape supply stores. Sand is sterile which minimizes issues when rooting cuttings in your box.

I have also used regular potting soil with a good amount of success. You can read about the differences in sand and soil for plant propagation in this post.

Just make sure the box stays out of direct sunlight or you could bake your cuttings. Choose a location with shade like a porch or under some trees. The plastic box maintains a good level of humidity without drowning the cuttings but remember the goal is to reduce water loss in the leaves. Until your cuttings have roots it is critical that water loss is reduced. That’s why some plant propagators like to use misting systems.

Venting the Propagation Box

You will need to vent your box periodically. Daily or every other day you should lift the lid off the box for a few minutes. Check the cuttings for signs of mildew or other problems then replace the lid.

If there is mildew get some Neem Oil (aff.) and give the cuttings a little spray. I’ve found that this really helps with cuttings or seedlings when powdery mildew appears.

Optional Upgrades for your Cutting Propagation Box

Below are a few additional things you can do to enhance your plant propagation box. They are entirely optional but depending on your level of interest in plant propagation might be worth exploring.

Add Misting to the Cutting Box – Optional

If you want to add misting capabilities to your box you can find kits at most home improvement stores that can be adapted to fit your needs. Just drill holes where you need to insert the mist heads and add drainage holes in the bottom of the box.

I’ve found that when using the box I only need to water every 10 to 14 days so the mist system doesn’t seem that necessary. Otherwise I check the cuttings every couple days for progress or to see if any cuttings are doing poorly.

How to Add Heat to the Propagation Box

Bottom heat can help plants form roots especially if you are in a cooler part of the year. I don’t find bottom heat as necessary for most of what I do but some plants really do benefit from bottom heat. To add bottom heat to your plant propagation box find a heating mat to put underneath the box. Here are some options for heat mats (aff.).

Bottom heat is very helpful with hardwood cuttings. Hardwood cutting like bottom heat and cooler tops.

Lighting

Additional lighting is not necessary but you could easily rig up LED lights to the top of the plastic lid. That would allow you to use the box as an option for seeds and seed starting as well as rooting cuttings.

In this container: Boxwood, Chamaecyparis, Verbena, Camellia, Viburnum, Gaillardia, and Hydrangea Cuttings

These boxes work great for anyone who is interested in propagating plants at home. Simple plant propagation boxes are a good way to maintain moisture and get those cuttings out of the house.