This TikTok Hack Is The Coolest Way To Propagate A Houseplant

From nature lovers to interior design enthusiasts, anyone can benefit from the pop of color and uplifting appeal of adding houseplants to their décor. If you're looking to add an extra piece of greenery (or a few) to the family, then this ZZ plant propagating hack from @plnts.com's TikTok can help you get started using some leaves and a piece of styrofoam. Yes, really. Although you'll likely have to be patient, this is a great way to grow and nurture your very own houseplants without having to splash out tons of cash at a nursery or home goods store.

If you usually don't dabble in the practice of propagating, you should still be able to have success with this hack, though it might take some trial and error. So, how do you get started? As it turns out, the steps are pretty straightforward, so you'll need only a few things to prepare. 

For this hack, you'll need your ZZ plant, otherwise known as a Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, some scissors, a piece of styrofoam, and a cup large enough to hold it. If you've done some propagating before, then you may already be familiar with the initial steps of the process. All you need to do is snip off a few leaves from your plant (however many you would like to grow) and pop them into your styrofoam block slits. You can create these slits using scissors. The final step is simple. Just leave the block floating on the water, with the bottom of the leaves facing downwards, ensuring that you switch out the water every three to four days so it's nice and fresh. Doing so is key, as roots will need to sprout. Once they do (the video suggests in about five to seven weeks), you can transfer the sprouts into potting soil.

The reason this trick works is the styrofoam block helps to hold several leaves in place at once. Without it, it's difficult for the leaves to sit in the correct position with access to both water and oxygen. One downside to this hack is that you need patience. There is no guarantee it will work; however, the more leaves you use, the higher your chances of success are. Likewise, you may have to wait months for the roots to appear, and growing a single leaf into a houseplant could take years.