Plant Propagation by Shoots and Runners

About Propagating Plants from Shoots and Runners

A variety of plants are propagated by shoots and runners off of the mother plant. Propagating plants by shoots and runners creates a new plant. It is genetically identical to the mother plant. Plants that are propagated in this manner, are invasive plants. They are very aggressive.

Some good examples of plants propagated this way include:

Bamboo
Lilacs – Lilac shoots are pictured above
Spider Plants
Strawberries

Plants that send out shoots or suckers are easy to transplant. Dig them up and you will see they already have a root system.

Some plants produce runners, with tiny little offspring attached. In outdoor home gardens, the runners can be allowed to root wherever they grow or trained in a particular direction. For indoor gardening, the tiny baby plant can be cut from the runner and planted in a pot filled with moist, rich potting soil.

Use this method in the Spring for outdoor plants. This is when new shoots and runners develop.

How to Propagate Plants with Shoots, Suckers and Runners

Propagating plants by shoots and runners is easy. Here’s how:

For both shoots and runners, simply cut the new plant from the mother plant before the new root system.
When taking shoots, make sure to get as much of the supporting roots as possible.
For runners, it is sometimes helpful to continue to root them in water for a couple of weeks.
Transplant the new plants, and keep the soil moist for 2-3 weeks.