The acclaimed writer and founder of Martha Stewart Living has revealed her secret to filling a home with an endless stream of greenery – it just takes one small investment.  See: The top 10 house plants – that all interior design lovers should know about In her magazine Martha Stewart (opens in new tab), the businesswoman discussed the benefits of the Chinese Money Plant – a quick growing species that doubles in size every year. Before explaining the prosperous nature of the plant, Martha also emphasized the perks of one of her favorite activities – plant propagation.  Martha regularly generates new plants from her old or overgrown house plants – which fills her home with double the amount of greenery.  You can, of course, use the propagated plants to fill all rooms of your home or share the new plants with others – meaning propagation is one of the most rewarding ways to spend your free time.  See: These are the world’s most Instagrammed house plants Back to the Chinese Money Plant – this is one of Martha’s favorite plants to propagate – she labels the Pilea Peperomioides a ‘gift that keeps on giving.’ It has even won a couple of spots on Martha Stewart’s Instagram (opens in new tab) grid.  Martha praised the plant for its continuous ‘offspring’, which she propagates, then gifts to her friends, once they are ’two to three inches high and have several leaves’. Her five steps to repotting a Chinese Money Plant? 

  1. Begin by removing the entire plant from its container, using, as Martha recommends, a sharp knife that will cut around the plantlet effortlessly. 
  2. She then prepares the greenery for planting, urging us to maintain ‘at least an inch of roots’ on each pup while the ‘mother plant’ is placed back into its original pot.
  3. Next, Martha arranges the separate small clay pots for planting by placing a ‘pottery shard in the bottoms’ which conceals the holes. She mixes a combination of well-draining potting soil and granulated organic fertilizer and fills each pot until they are approximately two-thirds full. This process is repeated for each plant you are propagating.  See: Monty Don’s house plant watering tips – and the mistake that is turning your house plants brown
  4. The next step, which is perhaps the most important of all, involves placing each pup into its pot. Martha notes that it should be as deep as it was whilst growing on the mother plant. She then fills the container with soil and softly tamps it down to get rid of any air pockets. See: Decorating with plants – Hilton Carter shares his top house plant styling tips
  5. Finally, Martha advises keeping on top of watering and carefully consider the pot’s placement – recommending a spot with ‘bright, indirect light.’ She also recommends cutting away any damaged leaves to ensure your Chinese Money Plant remains prosperous for many years to come.