Houseplant Maintenance: Cleaning Leaves, Propagating Snake Plant & Dracaena, Amaryllis Aftercare

Dusty leaves hinder photosynthesis and attract pests. Propagation multiplies your collection for free. And that holiday amaryllis? It can become a garden perennial. Here's how.

Clean Leaves the Right Way

Skip oils, milk, or commercial leaf shine—they clog stomata (leaf pores). Best method: slip a clean cotton sock on each hand, dampen with lukewarm water, squeeze excess, and gently slide each leaf between your palms. A peace lily sparkles in minutes.

Easy Propagation Projects

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

Cut leaves into 2-inch sections. Insert a dozen upright in a 6-inch saucer of moist sand. Bright light, constant moisture → new plantlets at bases in 8 weeks.

Dracaena (Dragon Plant, Corn Plant)

These grow tall and leggy. Cut main stem back to 12 inches. Slice removed stem into 2-inch segments. Seal both ends of each segment with masking tape, lay horizontally halfway into damp sand. Weeks later, leaves emerge from each piece; mother plant resprouts lower.

Amaryllis: Skip the Forced Dormancy, Plant Outdoors

Holiday amaryllis are forced for December bloom; their natural season is May. After flowers fade, cut stalk, keep in sunny window until late April. Plant outdoors in loose, sandy soil (mix Quikrete All-Purpose Sand into bed), leaving ⅓ of bulb above ground. Water summer; it may bloom next May. Buy a new forced bulb each winter to expand your collection.