5 FRESH CUTS


Fill a small glass container with 20 cm (7.9 in) of water. Pick a clear container so that you can keep an eye on your cuttings and watch their roots grow. Fill your container with water and make sure there’s enough to submerge the bottom 1/3 of your cutting fully.[4]
  • Tall, skinny glass containers, like test tubes, are perfect for growing cuttings.
Place 2 to 3 cuttings in the water root-side down. If your container is wide enough, you can place multiple cuttings in it at a time. Make sure the bottom part of the cutting is fully submerged to help the roots grow![5]
  • Clusia plants can root in water because they’re naturally found in a rainy environment, so their roots are used to growing through swampy wetland areas.[
  • Add more water periodically if the level gets low. As your cutting grows, it will suck up the water in your container. Keep an eye on the water levels in each glass container and add more water if it dips below 20 cm (7.9 in).[8]
    • If you see any signs of rot or algae on the roots, carefully take your cuttings out of the water and rinse them off. Pour all the water out of your container and wipe it out with a towel before adding fresh water.
    Take the cuttings out of the water when the roots are 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) long. After 3 to 4 weeks, the roots on your cuttings will be long enough to plant in soil. Take them out of the water and gently dab off the excess with a paper towel to get them ready to plant![9]
    • If you don’t take your cuttings out of the water right away, that’s okay. Your plant can survive for a few extra weeks in water if it needs to.

  • Fill a 18 to 20 in (46 to 51 cm) pot with sandy, well-draining potting soil. Your Clusia plant prefers soil that absorbs water but doesn’t get soaked. Look for potting soil made with sand that says “well-draining,” then use a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom.[10]
    • If the soil absorbs too much water, it could cause the roots to rot.
    • Each cutting needs its own pot, so grab a couple if you need to
    Cover the roots in soil, gently pressing down the dirt. Use your pointer finger to gently dig a hole in the dirt. Place 1 cutting in the pot and cover the roots in dirt, then press down on the top of the soil.[11]
    • Don’t press down too hard! You want to leave some air pockets in the soil so that water can still drain through.
    • It may take the Clusia roots a few days to switch from water roots to soil roots. You might see their leaves get a little droopy or wilted, but they should spring back up in a day or two.
    Water your plant every day to keep the soil moist. Clusia plants don’t need a lot of maintenance, but they do require daily watering. Make sure the soil feels moist but not soaking to keep your plant happy.[14]
    • Clusia plants are drought-tolerant, so they can survive if you accidentally skip a few watering days.