How to Propagate Angel Trumpet Plants: A Complete Guide

Angel trumpet is a stunning flowering plant that produces dramatic, trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of white, yellow, pink, orange, or red. While you can find angel trumpet at your local nursery, propagating these beauties yourself is highly rewarding and ensures you have an endless supply of plants.

Propagating angel trumpet is quite straightforward when you follow a few simple steps. In this complete guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to successfully propagate angel trumpet plants from cuttings, layering, division, and seeds.

Overview of Propagation Methods

There are four main methods for propagating angel trumpet

• Cuttings – Taking a cutting from an existing plant and rooting it to create a new, genetically identical plant. This is the most common and reliable way to propagate angel trumpet.

• Layering – Pinning a low-growing stem to the ground and allowing it to form roots before severing it from the parent plant.

• Division – Splitting off sections of the plant that have their own root systems to make new plants.

• Seeds – Planting seeds collected from angel trumpet seed pods More difficult and less successful than other methods

Cuttings are the recommended method for beginners, as they have the highest success rate. Let’s look at how to propagate angel trumpet using cuttings.

Propagating Angel Trumpet by Cuttings

Taking cuttings from an existing angel trumpet plant is the easiest way to create more of these stunning bloomers. Follow these simple steps:

Choose a Healthy Parent Plant

Select a mature, healthy angel trumpet plant that has robust growth and an abundance of foliage. This will provide the best cuttings.

Use Clean, Sterilized Equipment

Using clean clippers or a sharp knife, take a cutting that is 4-6 inches long. Cut just below a node or joint on the stem. Sterilize your cutting tool before each cut to prevent disease spread.

Prepare the Cutting

Strip off the lower leaves from your cutting so that only the top two leaf nodes remain. This helps direct the cutting’s energy into root growth instead of leaf growth. Dip the stripped end into rooting hormone powder to spur root development.

Plant in Soil

Fill a small pot with well-draining potting mix. Make a hole and insert your cutting so the upper leaves sit just above the soil line. Firm the soil gently around the cutting.

Provide Warmth and Humidity

Place your potted cutting in a warm spot (65-75°F) with high humidity. Covering the pot with a plastic bag helps lock in moisture and humidity. Mist the leaves daily.

Monitor Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Don’t let it completely dry out. Roots will form in 2-4 weeks, signaled by new growth appearing.

Transition to the Garden

Once rooted, acclimate the young plant to the outdoors for a week before transplanting into the garden after all danger of frost has passed.

Following these straightforward steps, you can propagate endless angel trumpet plants to create a stunning tropical garden display. Now let’s look at propagating angel trumpet through layering.

Propagating Angel Trumpet by Layering

Layering involves encouraging root growth on a still-attached stem that remains connected to the parent plant until the new roots form. Here’s how:

Select a Low-Growing Stem

Find a flexible stem that can be bent down to ground level. Choose one that is still connected to the parent plant.

Wound the Stem

Use a knife to scrape or wound one section of the stem. This section will be beneath the soil. Wounding stimulates rooting hormones.

Secure in Place

Bend the wounded section down and secure it in a shallow trench using landscape staples or a bent wire. Leave the tip exposed.

Add Soil

Cover the pinned portion of the stem with soil, leaving just the tip exposed. Firm the soil over the buried section.

Keep Soil Moist

Water regularly, keeping the soil moist but not saturated. New roots should emerge in 2-3 months.

Sever and Transplant

Once rooted, use pruners to detach the new plant from the parent. Transplant immediately into its permanent location.

Layering angel trumpet creates an identical new plant while allowing the parent plant to continue supplying nutrients. Next we’ll examine propagating angel trumpet by division.

Propagating Angel Trumpet Through Division

Mature angel trumpet plants can be divided to create new plants. Here’s how simple division works:

Select a Large, Overgrown Plant

Division works best on older plants that are overcrowded or have become unsightly. Choose one with a dense clump of growth emerging from the base.

Prepare for Division

Water the plant deeply a day before dividing. Have your freshly sterilized garden tools ready. Choose a shady spot or do this in early morning before heat builds.

Divide the Plant

With a shovel, slice downward through the plant’s root ball, dividing it into smaller sections. Each section should have plenty of roots and some top growth.

Pot Up Sections

Plant each divided section in its own container using potting soil. Water in well until soil is moist but not saturated.

Provide Aftercare

Give divided sections filtered sun for a week while they recover from root disturbance. Then transition to partial sun over a few weeks before moving to full sun exposure.

Dividing overgrown angel trumpet specimens revitalizes the plants while generating new additions to your garden. Finally, let’s examine propagating from seeds.

Propagating Angel Trumpet from Seeds

While angel trumpet can be grown from seeds, this method is more challenging and less successful than the others. Here are some tips:

Gather Ripe Seeds

Allow angel trumpet pods to fully ripen on the plant until they turn brown. Open the pods carefully and extract the winged seeds inside.

Start Seeds Indoors

Sow seeds in trays or pots filled with seed starting mix. Cover seeds lightly with 1/4 inch of soil. Keep warm (65-75°F) and evenly moist.

Expect Low Germination

Angel trumpet seeds have a very low, sporadic germination rate. Don’t be surprised if few seeds sprout. Germination can take many weeks.

Transplant Seedlings

If seedlings do appear, transplant into individual containers once they have 4-6 true leaves. Grow on for 10-12 weeks before moving outdoors.

Direct Sow Outdoors

You can try direct sowing angel trumpet seeds into the garden after the last frost. But germination rates are poor outdoors too.

Growing angel trumpet from seeds is an exercise in patience with low success rates. Stick to cuttings, layering and division for the best results.

Troubleshooting Propagation Problems

While propagating angel trumpet is fairly straightforward, you may encounter some issues. Here are solutions to a few common propagation problems:

Cuttings failing to root: Increase bottom heat to 75-85°F. Mist leaves daily for high humidity. Ensure soil mix drains well and cuttings aren’t sitting in moisture. Apply more rooting hormone.

Leaves drying out: Raise humidity level around cuttings by covering with plastic or placing on a pebble tray. Water more frequently but avoid saturated soil.

Stem or base rotting: Allow soil to dry out further between waterings. Use a very well-draining potting mix. Apply fungicide drench if rot is severe.

Few or no seeds germinating: Unfortunately, low germination is common with angel trumpet seeds. Start more seeds to increase your odds of some sprouting.

Seedlings dying after transplant: Harden off indoor-started seedlings slowly over 7-14 days before transplanting into the garden. Don’t disturb the root ball during transplant.

Key Tips for Angel Trumpet Propagation Success

Follow these tips to ensure your angel trumpet propagation efforts go smoothly:

• Take cuttings from the healthiest, most robust plants possible.

• Keep humidity high and sunlight filtered while cuttings root.

• Use sterile tools and well-draining soil mixes.

• Allow soil to dry out between waterings to prevent rot.

• Transplant new plants slowly and gently to avoid shock.

• Be extremely patient with seeds as germination is low.

• Stick to cuttings as the most foolproof propagation method.

With the right techniques, you can easily increase your angel trumpet collection. Soon you’ll have plenty of these elegant, tropical specimens bringing drama and fragrance to your gardens.