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Planting Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium) Cuttings

ByNell Foster Published on

Syngoniums are very easy to propagate via stem cuttings. Here you’ll find info on planting Arrowhead Plant cuttings including the mix to use and how to do it.

If you’re a beginning gardener, just know that this whole process is very easy to do. I wasn’t going to do a post on this, but the Arrowhead Plant propagation video and post have been very popular. Hopefully this will help you out if you’ve never planted cuttings.

Arrowhead Plants (Arrowhead Vines, Syngoniums) grow like crazy and are very easy to propagate. I recently did a post on propagating them via stem cuttings and the next step was to get them into a pot. I have 4 of these plants (all different varieties) so I’m giving this one away to Brielle; who you see in the above photo with her new baby.

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Here I am planting Arrowhead Plant cuttings:

Rooting in Water vs. Mix

I generally like to root houseplants in water because I can see what’s happening & how well the rooting is progressing. I just thought it would be fun to show you the root action in water vs the mix. 

The 2 cuttings propagated in the mix were showing roots that were more developed than those propagated in water. 

As you can see, both methods of rooting stem cuttings yield great results. It’s whichever you prefer!

close up of the ends of stems cuttings with roots starting to appear
The cuttings rooted in mix next to the ones rooted in water. Both were started at the same time.

When to Plant the Cuttings

Spring & summer are the best times to plant Arrowhead Plant cuttings. Early fall would be fine too. I try and avoid doing this during the colder months because plants rest a bit at this time.

Soil Mix

I repotted the mother plant in blend of 1/2 potting soil to 1/2 coco fiber. Coco fiber basically has the same properties of peat moss but it’s a more sustainable choice.

For this baby plant, I used 1/2 potting soil to 1/2 succulent & cactus mix. My DIY succulent and cactus mix has a lot of coco fiber & pumice in it so it’s a great alternative. As for potting soil, I use this one as well as this one. 

I also added in a few handfuls of a local compost & topped it all with a 1/4″ layer of worm compost for extra richness.

I do a lot of gardening (indoors & out) & have a garage to store all my potting supplies in. If you live in a space with limited storage, a peat-based potting soil will work. Buy a small bag of perlite or pumice (to up the ante on the drainage & aeration) & add that in 3 (soil):1(p or p).

a small pot with arrowhead plant syngonium cuttings sits next to arrowhead plant cuttings in a jar with water
The cuttings right after the propagation.

Steps to Planting Arrowhead Plant Cuttings

There are three simple steps for planting arrowhead plant cuttings.

Fill the pot 3/4 the way full of mix.

Arrange the cuttings how they’ll best grow in or in most cases, how they’ll best stand up & all fit in. The mix is light so the cuttings tend to flop around a bit. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly spaced – this plant fills in fast!

Fill in with more mix & lightly press down on it to keep the cuttings in place. Add more mix if needed.

(Optional: top with a 1/4″ layer of worm compost).

How to Care for Your Cuttings

You want to water your newly planted cuttings as soon after planting them as you can. Mine had been rooting in water & a moist mix so I didn’t want to keep them dry for too long.

I gave this new plant to Brielle & told her to water it every 5-7 days depending on the temps. You don’t want to keep it soaking wet but you don’t want it to dry out either. Once the plant gets well-rooted in & established, then you can water it with the same frequency as you would the established mother plant.

As for exposure, this is just like an established Arrowhead. You want too put it in bright natural light & make sure it doesn’t get direct hot sun.

nell foster applies worm compost to a pot of newly planted arrowhead plant syngonium cuttings
Ready for the good stuff – I’m adding a top layer of worm compost for some extra goodness.
How do I know when my cuttings are ready to plant?

Not only does the Arrowhead Plant grow fast but its roots do too. I planted mine after 18 days but I could have done it sooner. I chose to wait a bit until the roots were a bit further along.

Conversely, if you choose to keep them in water for a while, they’ll do fine.

The roots are strong & can easily form & grow in a well-aerated mix. You see that the cuttings which were propagated in the succulent & cactus mix rooted beautifully in a short period of time.

The lower leaves have died. Will my cuttings live?

Depending on what I’m rooting, I take off quite a few of the lower leaves with just a few remaining on the stem. Despite doing this, more wilt & turn yellow. This happened with the cuttings you see here.

Don’t worry; even if you only have 1 or 2 leaves alive on the stem, new growth will fast emerge. So yes, your cuttings will live.

Here is a picture of the mother plant before the pruning and training.

When will I need to repot my Arrowhead Plant?

Here is the general rule of thumb: every 2 years. Mine was in a 6″ pot & I put it into an 8″ pot last year. It’s growing fast & I can see that the roots are nearing the drain holes. I’ll repot it into a 10″ pot next year.

So this completes the Arrowhead Plant pruning and propagating series. These are easy-care houseplants and propagate quicker than greased lightning. Just think of all the baby plants you’ll be giving away!

Happy gardening,

Signed by Nell Foster

Here are more plant care guide for you to enjoy!

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