You have three ways to handle philodendron selloum propagation at home. You can root stem cuttings, divide the offsets at the base, or saw woody stem sections off a large plant. Each one works well. Cuttings are the easiest way to start, so most people pick that route first. You get a free new plant out of a stem you would have thrown away.
The lower stem of my selloum by the east window had gone bare and leggy. I pruned off that bottom section. Then I set it in a jar of water on the sill and waited. I noticed thin white roots pushing out within a few weeks. The cutting never once looked stressed, and the leaves stayed firm. I have grown this plant for six years, and it still roots like it is in a hurry.
That speed comes down to the node. A node is the small bump on the stem where leaves and roots emerge. Your cutting has to include at least one of them, or it will sit in the water and slowly rot. Selloum stems often grow an aerial root near these spots too. Those gray, stubby roots already want to grow. Include one on your cutting and it roots even faster than a bare stem would. So before you cut, run your finger down the stem and find a node first.
For stem cuttings, find a healthy section with one or two nodes and a leaf. Cut just below a node with a clean, sharp blade. A dull or dirty blade crushes the stem and invites rot. You can root the cutting two ways. Sit it in a jar of water, or push it straight into a small pot of moist mix. Both show new roots in two to four weeks.
Water propagation is the method I trust most because you can see everything. Place the node under the water but keep the leaf above the surface. Set the jar in bright indirect light near a window. Swap the water every few days so it stays clean and clear. Cloudy water starves the roots of oxygen. Once the roots reach two inches, the cutting is ready to pot.
Bigger, older plants give you two more options. Division means you lift the whole plant up and pull apart the baby offsets that sprout around the base. Each offset comes with its own roots already attached, so you can pot it up and it settles in fast. For a thick, woody trunk you can saw off a stem section that holds a node. Let the cut dry for a day first. Then you root it in soil like a giant cutting and keep the soil barely moist.
Cut a healthy stem just below a node with a clean blade. Keep one leaf and an aerial root if you see one.
Set the cutting in water or moist mix. Keep it in bright indirect light around 70°F (21°C) for steady growth.
Look for white roots over the next two to four weeks. Refresh the water often if you root in a jar.
Once roots reach about two inches, move the cutting into a light, fast-draining mix and water it in.
Whichever method you pick, give the new plant a light, fast-draining mix. I blend regular potting soil with a generous handful of perlite or orchid bark. Selloum roots rot fast in heavy, soggy soil, so that airy texture matters more than any rooting hormone. Keep the fresh pot warm, around 70°F (21°C), and out of direct sun for the first month. Water it only when the top inch feels dry. Give it that care and your young plant will put out its first new leaf within a few weeks. That is all there is to philodendron selloum propagation, and you can do it again and again.
Read the full article: Philodendron Selloum Care Guide
