How to Grow a Baby Bird of Paradise? Propagate from Pups

To propagate your Bird of paradise, you’ll need to include a piece of the plant’s rhizome in order for it to have any chance at surviving.

This is because unlike many other plants, the Bird of paradise cannot grow roots from cuttings.

Best Time to Propagate Bird of Paradise

The best time to propagate your Bird of paradise is in early spring. This will minimize your plant’s stress, compared to being propagated in winter, when the plant experiences a decrease in growth.

If your Bird of paradise is situated indoors, depending on the temperature, it may start producing rapid new growth a bit earlier than one situated outdoors.

If this is the case and you begin to see rapid new growth towards the end of winter, you can split up your pups from the mother plant and begin your propagation a bit sooner.

Material Required to propagate your Bird of paradise 

You will need the following:

• Additional pots to put your plant pups in
• A good quality soil
• Something sharp like a knife, garden shears or scissors
• Rubbing alcohol to disinfect your tools

How to propagate your Bird of paradise

1. Water your plant before you plan to propagate it. This will help you loosen up the soil in preparation for being divided, additionally aiding you in having a better view of the entire root system.
2. Prepare the container or hole in your garden where you plan to plant your new division from the mother plant. This will help your plant’s roots, by minimizing the damage caused by high oxygen exposure.
3. Prepare your potting mix. You’ll want to pay attention to the components you use, to ensure your plant’s best chance of survival. A mixture of 70% soil, mixed with 30% peat will provide good drainage, but hold enough moisture to keep your plant happy.Adding a fungicide to the potting mix is a good idea, as it can help your plant during the propagation process. Mix your various substrates well.
4. Dig your plant up. Where possible, it is recommended that you remove the entire plant from its container. This allows you to have a good look at your Strelitzia’s entire root system and aids you in picking a healthy section of the plant to propagate.
5. Place your new plant in the hole you have made, either in a container or on the ground. You’ll want to place it deep enough that the bulb, as well as its roots, will be covered with soil.
6. Disinfect any of the tools you will use to separate the roots of your Strelitzia. You can use Ethanol or isopropyl alcohol to disinfect your tools by wiping them down with it.
7. You are now ready to cut and separate your Bird of paradise into one or more plants.

Slice the plant, and swiftly move it to the hole you prepared for planting. You’ll want to cover your roots as soon as possible with the soil, to minimize the total time they are exposed to air.

8. Gently compact the soil around your plant. Make sure to position your plant straight, as this is ultimately the direction your plant will grow in, once it’s settled.
9. Finally, give your new propagated Bird of paradise a drink of water. Do this slowly so the water soaks the ball root, helping your plant overcome the shock of being transplanted.
10. If you have potted your Bird of paradise, the final step is to move it to a spot where it will receive plenty of bright light.

In conclusion

After roughly 6 weeks, your Bird of Paradise will have begun to put out new roots. If your plant pups have survived this far, congratulations! You have successfully propagated your Bird of paradise.