tech
February 10, 2026
Houseplant hacks: is candle wax useful for taking cuttings?
There’s a new trend for propagating plants by dipping cuttings in melted wax. Is it worth all the faff?
TL;DR
- A new trend suggests dipping plant cuttings in candle wax for propagation.
- The supposed benefit is to keep bacteria out and force root growth from nodes.
- In practice, wax seals a wound that already heals naturally and offers no help.
- An experiment showed that plain cuttings rooted faster than waxed ones.
- The candle wax method adds unnecessary effort and potential contaminants without any advantage.
- Clean water and good light remain the best methods for propagating plants like pothos.
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