My first successful Monstera propagation in water

I finally did the thing I'd been putting off for a year: I cut a piece off my Monstera deliciosa to propagate it. I was sure I'd kill the mother plant. I didn't — and the cutting rooted in 26 days.

The cut that mattered

The trick everyone mentions is real: cut just below a node. A node is the bumpy joint on the stem where a leaf and an aerial root meet. Without a node, a cutting will never grow roots. I used clean houseplant shears and took a section with one leaf and one node.

The water method

• I dropped the cutting into a clear glass jar with the node fully submerged and the leaf above the water.
• Changed the water every 3–4 days so it stayed clear and oxygenated.
• Kept it on a bright windowsill but out of direct, scorching sun.

What I watched for

Tiny white nubs appeared at the node around day 14, then proper roots by day 26. I resisted the urge to pull it out and check every day — letting it sit was most of the work.

Potting up

Once the roots were roughly 5 cm long, I moved it into a small pot with a chunky aroid mix (bark, perlite, and a little coco coir). It's now pushing out its first new leaf as an independent plant.

If you're nervous like I was: one clean cut below a node is all it takes. More of my propagation notes live on my blog.