Question
Hi Tracy,

My question is about my leggy pink polka dot plant. I realized that the stems cannot support themselves when the plant gets too tall so I cut a couple of the stems and put them in water. Some of them already developed roots so I want to put them in soil. But I just don't know how. I plan to use my ornamental pepper plant's soil since it already dried. I will take all the roots out and put the soil in another pot to plant the polka dot stems. Is it OK to reuse that soil? If so, should I just make holes with a pencil and put the stems inside the holes or is there any other technique? How deep should I plant them?

I also thought of planting the stems in the same pot of the original pink polka dot plant. Since I'd like to have a bushy plant so as they grow, they can support each other. I really appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Betul

Answer
Hi Betul,
  No, it is NOT okay to repot a plant into used soil. You must not only use fresh soil but the pot must also be clean. Preferably the pot should be dipped/soaked in a 10% bleach solution.
You can plant some of the rooted cuttings into the pot with the parent plant. I do that myself sometimes.
Plant the cuttings into the soil deep enough so that the roots are completely covered. I would suggest you plant them so that the soil covers the first 1/2 inch of stem above the roots but don't plant them much deeper than that.

If you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks
  Tracy