Whether orchids can be grown from cuttings depends entirely on the plant’s natural structure. Unlike many common houseplants, orchids require a propagation method tailored to their specific growth pattern. Successful propagation using cuttings is limited to certain varieties that grow vertically from a single point. Understanding the two main ways orchids grow is the first step toward successfully creating new plants.
Identifying Orchids Suitable for Cuttings
Orchids generally fall into two broad categories based on their growth habit: monopodial and sympodial. The monopodial growth pattern, meaning “one foot,” describes orchids that grow upward from a single central stem, with leaves emerging sequentially from the apex. This group includes popular varieties like Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) and Vanda species.
Monopodial orchids are the only types where a true stem cutting can be successfully employed. Their growth is driven by the apical meristem, or growing tip, which is the part used for propagation. New roots and flower spikes emerge from nodes along the main stem.
The alternative, sympodial growth, is characterized by a horizontal rhizome that spreads and produces new growths laterally. These orchids, such as Cattleya, Cymbidium, and most Dendrobium species, develop thickened water-storage organs called pseudobulbs. Because the plant spreads horizontally and lacks a single continuous stem, the method of cutting a piece of the main stem is not viable for this group.
Propagating sympodial orchids requires dividing the rhizome. However, some Dendrobium species are an exception; their cane-like pseudobulbs can sometimes be cut into segments to produce new plantlets from nodes.
Propagating Monopodial Orchids Via Stem Cuttings
For monopodial orchids that have grown too tall, such as large Vanda orchids, propagation is performed by “topping.” This involves physically separating the upper portion of the main stem from the lower portion. The upper cutting must include several healthy leaves and at least two or three established aerial roots to ensure survival.
Before making any cut, all tools, including knives or razor blades, must be sterilized, typically with a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution. The cut should be made cleanly across the stem below an aerial root. The resulting wound on both the mother plant and the new cutting should be treated immediately with a fungicidal powder, such as powdered cinnamon, to prevent infection and seal the cut surface.
The cutting is potted into a small container using a fine-grade orchid medium, often a mix of sphagnum moss and fine bark chips, or pure, moist sphagnum moss. This medium provides moisture retention while allowing for good air circulation. The environment surrounding the cutting should be kept warm and humid to encourage rapid root establishment.
Placing the pot in a humidity tray or an enclosed propagation chamber helps maintain the moisture levels the cutting needs while it establishes its root system. The new cutting should be kept in bright, indirect light, avoiding direct sun exposure. Over several weeks to months, new root growth will begin, signaling successful propagation.
Alternative Propagation Methods
The most common technique for sympodial orchids is division, performed when the plant has outgrown its container. This involves removing the plant from its pot and physically separating the horizontal rhizome into sections using a sterilized cutting tool.
Each new division must contain at least three to five pseudobulbs to ensure it has enough stored energy to survive independently. The older pseudobulbs, sometimes called back bulbs, still contain nutrients and can sometimes be encouraged to sprout new growth. After division, the cut surfaces are dusted with a fungicide, and each new section is potted into fresh orchid medium.
Another effective method, often applicable to Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium, is the removal of keikis. A keiki (Hawaiian for “baby”) is a small, genetically identical plantlet that grows from a node on a flower spike or cane. These plantlets are ready for separation when they have developed two to three leaves and their roots are at least two to three inches long.
The mature keiki is carefully removed from the parent plant using a sterile blade, leaving a small stub of the spike or cane attached. This clone is then potted into a fine-grade orchid mix or sphagnum moss. Separating keikis is often the most reliable method for multiplying popular Phalaenopsis orchids.