How Do You Prune & Propagate Medinilla? [Step By Step Guide]

If it's your first time growing the beautiful Medinilla Magnifica, you'll find that the leaves can grow big at their full maturity, and stems branch out randomly. Pruning is necessary to ensure it stays healthy and pretty at a manageable height. Additionally, you can use the cuttings to propagate the plant.

How exactly do you do this? We've done the research and have the answer below!

Here are the steps to propagate Medinilla Magnifica:

Put a rich soil medium in a pot.
Choose a stem from the mother plant and cut 3-5 inches from the base of the top leaf.
Dip the entire cutting in fungicide for a few seconds.
Dip the base of the cutting in the rooting hormone.
Plant the cutting in the prepared pot.

To prune the plant, use a sharp cutting tool and remove extending, overgrown stems. If you want to reduce the height, you can trim it to half its size. You can use the cuttings for propagation.

Read on as we expound on this topic and show you step-by-step instructions on pruning and propagation. We'll also share a technique to help your plant branch out and grow flowers faster, even if the plant is still low. With that said, let's begin!

How Do You Propagate Medinilla?

The Medinilla Magnifica plants are tropical flowering plants that grow natively in the Philippines. It is called many names, including "Philippine Orchid," "Rose Grape," "Chandelier Tree," and "Pink Lantern Plant."

Medinilla plants are popular for growing as houseplants, but many find that they are best grown outdoors in frost-free climates because they require specific humidity to stay healthy.

They are best grown in garden patches, on the porch, or under trees where there is shade and away from direct sunlight.

Medinilla Propagation

Cuttings propagate the Medinilla plant. You can take a healthy stem that's not too young and not too mature to grow additional plants.

If you do this correctly, cuttings can root easily, making it easy to increase the number of Medinilla in your garden.

What you'll need to cut and propagate:

Sharp and clean cutting shears
Seedling pot with medium (potting mix, coco peat, and vermicompost)
Fungicide
Rooting hormone

Check out this multipurpose ready-to-use fungicide on Amazon.

To propagate Medinilla, here are the steps:

Put soil medium in the seedling pot loosely. Do not press and compact to prevent water lag.
Lightly water the soil medium and check to ensure it drains properly.
Choose a mother plant with overgrowth and pick a slightly mature stem to cut.
Cut the stem 3 to 5 inches from the base of the top leaf.
Cut the stem in one swift cut using a sharp cutting tool to avoid plant bruising.
Dip for a few seconds or lightly spray the entire cutting with fungicide formulation.
Dip the base of the cutting in the rooting hormone.
Gently place the cutting in the prepared pot.
Place the pot in a cool area away from direct sunlight.
Water daily to keep the soil moist or mist the plant three times daily.

If using rooting hormone, use gloves, and clean tools after each propagation to prevent contamination.

Check out this popular Garden Safe rooting hormone for cuttings on Amazon.

Medinilla Pruning

The Medinilla plant is an evergreen shrub that produces bright red or pink flowers. It also grows up to 4 feet tall with random stems branching out.

You may want to trim it back every couple of seasons to keep the stems under control and at a manageable height.

If it's your first time pruning your Medinilla plant, here are some pruning tips:

Use clean and sharp cutting tools.
Prune Medinilla only after the flowering period. It will flower for 3 to 6 months.
Make sure to prune with at least one pair of leaves on each stem; otherwise, the stem will die.

Cut back long and extended branches and stems.

If you have a mature plant that has grown too tall, you may also want to cut it down to half its size. However, if you do this, expect the plant to grow bushier and not back taller.

Here's a helpful video that discusses the proper care and maintenance of Medinilla:

How Fast Does Medinilla Grow?

Medinilla is a slow-growing perennial plant and can take up to three years before reaching its full maturity.

To help the Medinilla plant bloom and reveal its beautiful flowers is to ensure it is placed in an area under warm, humid conditions that it loves.

It flowers randomly between April and August, and the flowering stage lasts for 3 to 6 months.

How To Grow More Branches And Flower Faster

We learned something from a seasoned Medinilla " data-lasso-id="24602">grower in the Philippines, where the plant is native. One of two things may happen if you have tried propagating Medinilla before.

Luck is on your side if the new growth will grow two or more new branches, and flowers will start blooming in just a few months, even if the plant is just a foot or two in height, just like the photo below.

If you're not too lucky, you might notice that the stems will only grow taller and taller, and even after several months or years, the flowers are still not blooming or will only bloom a few flowers.

If this happens, here's what you can do:

After propagating new stems into pots, watch and observe the new stem growths in the middle.
If the growth has two shoots, it's best to leave them alone. If the stem has only one shoot, cut that single shoot, and it should grow back as two or more shoots.

Of course, aside from doing this technique, you should also ensure that the growing conditions are ideal and the plant is in a pot with rich soil.

You can also give the plant an orchid fertilizer after the flowering period to ensure it will remain healthy until the next bloom. If you do this, you can achieve a plant with multiple branches and flowers, just like the picture below.

Is Medinilla An Indoor Or Outdoor Plant?

Medinilla is an indoor and outdoor plant, but according to many owners, it's best grown outdoors under the shade because it requires certain humidity.

If you want to grow it indoors, it is ideal to have a humidifier inside the same room as the plant, especially during the winter. Also, please keep it away from air ducts and open windows where sudden drafts can enter.

See this LEVOIT baby nursery and plants humidifier on Amazon.

If you live in an area with cold to freezing weather, it's best to keep the plant indoors near a window to get adequate sunlight. Medinilla thrives in warm and humid weather and can't tolerate temperatures less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

It loves cool nights and will help it bloom more flowers.

Medinilla grows like a succulent, which means it doesn't need much watering and only needs the soil to be moist. It is prone to root rot which means it does not require frequent watering and can live with just misting.

Can You Grow Medinilla From Seed?

Yes, growing Medinilla from seeds is possible, but it's a slow process. Seedlings can take up to six months to grow to 3 inches in height before being transplanted to a pot with richer soil to speed up the growing process.

Some species of Medinilla grow flowers that develop into round "fruits." Each can contain around 50 to 80 seeds that can be harvested once it matures only. Otherwise, it will not germinate.

An indication that the fruit has matured is when the color turns dark, and the pulp becomes soft.

If you are planting from seeds, soak it for five days, changing the water daily, before placing it in a pot of rich soil, ideally containing a mixture of potting mix, coco peat, and vermicast.

Apply fungicide according to the product instructions.

To Wrap It Up

Pruning Medinilla plants will help them thrive, promote new growth and keep them looking tidy. You can use the stem cuttings you made from pruning to propagate the plant.

It's easy to propagate with the simple instructions above. If you keep it under ideal temperature conditions, your plant will surely flower within a few months.

Thank you very much for reading through, and we hope you followed the steps to prune and propagate your Medinilla plant properly.

To learn more about plant propagation and pruning plants, check out the other articles below:

California Lilac: How And When To Prune, Plant, And Transplant?

How And When To Prune A Money Tree?

How And When To Prune A Holly Bush