# Propagating stem plants



## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I've been turning my few plants into many by snipping little plantlets off the top, just above a node, removing the leaves above that node and replanting them.

It's working fine, only problem is how it leaves the trimmed plant. Instead of the stem continuing out of the cut stump, another one will grow sort of out of the side and at an angle, and sometimes two will come out the stump, making for a sometimes ugly looking plant.

Is there any way to get it to come out straight?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Nope. Once you cut through the stem, it will start to scar over to heal. The new growth erupts from little weaknesses in the scar. To make it grow straight, you'd have to somehow keep the entire growth ring open and active, and, well, you just aren't going to do that.
Your best bet is to just keep your chopped up mutants as 'Mother' plants in a separate tank, and keep the new straight ones in your display tank. As your mother plants gain more and more new stems as if some mythological Hydra, you'll be able to really make a lot of cuttings from them. They'll be ugly, but very very productive.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

They have pretty much all sprouted two new stems parallel to each other. I may do as you said, keep them as mother plants. All my old ugly wisteria is gone and the different shaped leaved ones are all over now, lots of little plantlets. I don't know if they go back to the old shape once they are old, but I much prefer the leaves of my little plantlets.


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