Gardening Houseplants Caring for Houseplants How to Propagate Your Corn Plant to Expand Your Houseplant Collection When your plant gets a little overgrown, you can restore its good looks with a quick trim. By Megan Hughes Megan Hughes Megan Hughes has a passion for plants that drives her to stay on top of the latest garden advancements and time-tested ways of growing great plants. She travels regularly to learn about new plants and technology and is closely connected to the innovation side of the horticulture industry. She has more than 25 years of experience in horticulture. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on December 19, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Estimated Cost: $20 Yield: 1 cutting The houseplant known as corn plant (also called dracaena) features long, strap-like leaves that resemble the maize plant, or more commonly known as the corn we eat. Though the name implies a relation, these two species are not at all related. While corn plant is one of the easiest houseplants you can grow, it can look a little gangly and overgrown over time. That's the perfect opportunity to cut it back and propagate more of these plants from cuttings. Then, you can give the new, young plants away to new homes or keep them and create your own lush living room plant jungle. Timing and patience play into the success of growing more corn plants from cuttings. Here's what you need to know. Jacob Fox What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Clean, sharp pruners New planter Materials Rooting powder Potting medium (pumice, perlite, or coarse sand) Toothpicks (optional) Moist sphagnum moss (optional) Clear plastic wrap (optional) Instructions Making the Cut Spring and early summer are the best times to cut back your corn plant. Not only will the original plant recover quickly from the trimming, but the new cuttings are likely to root faster in the prolonged bright light. Using a pair of clean, sharp pruners, cut an 8-inch or longer length of stem that includes four to six leaves from a cane of your existing plant. Reduce the size of your plant significantly by removing a longer piece of cane. The cane on the original plant normally will re-sprout just below the cut, although it may take a couple of months to do so. Caring for the Cutting Remove any excess leaves from the cutting so that it has four or so leaves remaining. The leaves are essential for producing the fuel the plant needs to produce new roots. If you made an exceptionally long cutting, reduce the overall length so that about 4 inches of cane extends below the leaves. Make an angled cut at the rooting end of the cane. Dip the cut end in rooting powder, then stick the cutting into a pot of pumice, perlite, or coarse sand. Potting soil isn't a good choice for rooting corn plant because it will stay too damp and rot the stem before it can root. Keep the rooted cutting in a bright location, but out of direct sunlight until new roots form. Check the potting medium for moisture every other day or so. Water when it feels slightly dry to the touch. Corn plant cuttings take about eight weeks to form roots. After that time has passed, gently try to lift the stem. If you feel strong resistance, the cutting has rooted and can be replanted in a houseplant potting mix. If the stem is wobbly when you lift it, it needs a little more time to root. Try Air Layering (Optional) If you want to try getting fancy with propagating your corn plant, you can use an advanced technique called air layering. Similar to cuttings, air layering begins with cutting a stem. Rather than completely cutting off the stem, simply make a notch about halfway around the stem with a clean, sharp blade. Once you've made the notch, prop it open with small pieces of toothpicks. Dust the open wound with rooting powder to encourage rapid growth. For added protection, wrap moist sphagnum moss around the cut stem and enclose the moss in clear plastic. Keep the moss moist but not soggy until you see new roots developing. At that time, cut off the stem just below the roots, and pot up the new plant.