Written by
Carmen
Your Chinese Money Plant is looking lovely, its leaves are gleaming happily in the light, and then suddenly you spot them: tiny green shoots at the bottom of the potting soil. Congratulations, your plant is making babies! Those little offshoots, affectionately known as ‘pups’, are ready-made cuttings you can pop straight into their own little pot. Easier than making pancakes, and we don’t say that lightly.
Chinese Money Plant cuttings: what you’ll need
Spoiler: the list is short and, with a bit of luck, you already have everything at home.
- A mature Chinese Money Plant with visible pups
- A clean, sharp knife or pair of scissors
- A small pot
- Potting soil or cutting compost
- Optional: a small glass of water
How do you recognise Chinese Money Plant pups?
Pups are the little offshoots that appear all by themselves at the base or along the stem of a mature Chinese Money Plant. They simply pop up, without you having to do a thing. The plant sorts it out itself, because that’s just how generous it is.
Wait before taking cuttings until a pup is at least 5 to 6 centimetres above the soil. The bigger the baby, the stronger the roots and the better the chance of success. So no rush: let those pups grow up peacefully next to mum for a little while.
Did you know?
The Chinese Money Plant is known as the ‘friendship plant’ because it loves to share. People used to pass its cuttings on to friends and family and, honestly, a home-grown Chinese Money Plant is still one of the loveliest gifts there is.
Chinese Money Plant cuttings: the step-by-step guide
Step 1 — Choose the right pup
Look for a pup that seems to know what it’s doing: a few leaves of its own, a sturdy little stem. Leave the tiny shoots where they are for now, they simply need a bit more time. And that’s perfectly fine.
Step 2 — Follow the stem
Gently press your finger into the soil around the pup and follow the stem down as far as you can. Is the pup attached to the stem of the mother plant? The deeper you cut, the greater the chance it already has roots attached, and that is exactly what you want. Is the pup growing separately in the potting soil? Then you only need to go deep enough to keep the roots intact.
Step 3 — Cut smoothly
Take your knife or scissors. Is the pup attached to the stem? Cut the baby stem free vertically in one smooth movement. Is it growing separately? Carefully insert the knife into the soil and lift the pup out of the pot, roots and all. Pulling can damage the delicate roots in both cases, so cutting or lifting it out works better.
Tip: make sure your knife is clean, because plants don’t like dirty tools either. Sounds obvious, but consider this a quick reminder.
Step 4 — In water or straight into soil?
Check whether the cutting already has little roots. Yes? Then it can go straight into a pot with potting soil or cutting compost. Use cutting compost if the roots are still tiny, as it is airier and contains fewer nutrients, which young roots appreciate. Are the roots already a bit stronger? Then ordinary potting soil is fine too. No roots to be seen yet? Put it in a small glass of water in a bright spot for a week or so first. You’ll see it happen by itself: little roots growing into the water. After that, it can go into cutting compost.
Step 5 — A little patience
Place the new plant in a bright spot out of direct sunlight and keep the soil lightly moist for the first few weeks. After four to six weeks, the cutting will have rooted and will start to grow visibly. Then you can feel proud, because you made that happen.
Useful tips for a successful cutting
- Turn your Chinese Money Plant cutting a quarter turn every now and then. The plant grows stubbornly towards the light, and without turning it, it can quickly start looking like the leaning Tower of Pisa.
- Ideally, use cutting compost instead of ordinary potting soil, as this gives the roots a flying start.
- And if you have several pups at once? Take cuttings from all of them. The mother plant won’t mind, and before you know it you’ll have a whole family of Chinese Money Plants at home.
- Patience is key, by the way: four to six weeks can feel like a long time, but that new plant really will come. Pinky promise.
- A little extra homework never hurts. Dive into our in-depth article on taking cuttings.
Want to know more about the Chinese Money Plant?
Cutting successfully rooted? Lovely! Want to know everything about caring for the Chinese Money Plant, where to place it and what it symbolises? Read our full guide, where you’ll find everything you need.
Has all this talk made you fancy pancakes?
We completely understand. Be sure to take a look at our delicious pancake recipe with Primroses as a tasty addition, because greenery deserves a starring role in the kitchen too.
