How to transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant into a New One

Corn plants (also known as Dracaena fragrans) are very popular in the U.S. and easy to care for. But sometimes, you need to take a piece off and propagate it so that it can thrive even more. I will show you in this post: how to transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant (corn plant) to create a whole new one.

First, you need to know what was happening to this plant. It is 8 feet tall and was sprouting a new shoot, which caused it to angulate and look stressed. Something had to be done.

Jump to:

The corn plant background
What supplies did I use to make this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?
How much did making this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant cost?
How long did it take to transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?
How did I make this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?
The Big Reveal
Tips on making this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant
How to take care of a corn plant.

The corn plant background

I inherited this one after my mother moved to California in the 2000s. A friend moving out of state in the mid-80s gave her the plant.

Note: I am an amateur gardener and wanted to share how I transplanted this indoor plant because it was so big and there wasn't anyone who could help me online do this. So, I resorted to my background in transplanting plants for over 30+ years to create a method to create a whole new plant in a sturdy pot.

What supplies did I use to make this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?

The supplies are pretty easy for this transplant. Supplies used:

Large Mason Jar (affiliate) - 12 to 14 inches high
water
Black electrical tape (Amazon (affiliate) affiliate)
Potting soil (Amazon (affiliate) affiliate) for indoor plants
Allen + Roth Round 9.63-Inches W Medium Off-white Plastic Contemporary/Modern Indoor/Outdoor Planter with Drainage Holes Attached Saucer - purchased at Lowes (not an affiliate)
Gardener's Blue Ribbon 18-Inches Green Metal Plant prop - purchased at Lowes (not an affiliate)
Gardener's Blue Ribbon 36-Inches Green Metal Stake - purchased at Lowes (not an affiliate)

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate) and at no additional cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you decide to make a purchase.

dirt, pot, mason jar with water in it and plant with roots

How much did making this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant cost?

This project cost about $59.00. The pot was the most expensive part. The cost was primarily for the pot and the stakes since I had already purchased the potting soil for another project.

How long did it take to transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?

The whole process from cutting the stem off to propagating to transplanting it into a new pot too about 4 weeks.

Here is the before picture of the corner where this new plant will be placed.

How did I make this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant?

First, cut the branch off from the original corn plant. I cut it closest to the main branch. Then, I filled the large mason jar (affiliate) with water and propped up the plant near the wall so it would not tip over. The mason jar (affiliate) was hefty when I added water, but the plant had a lot of foilage so it needed extra support.

The propagation process took about 3-4 weeks. It started rooting within the first two weeks, and by the fourth week, there were many roots. Below, you can see how it looked when I was about to transplant it.

Large mason jar and plant with roots inside

Then, remove the stake tags. I gathered the electrical tape and the metal stacks together with the potting soil, plant, and pot (has proper drainage) and taped the two metal stacks together. The 18-inch metal stake would help the branch stay stable until it had rooted in the soil, and the 36-inch stake would help if I needed to keep it straight while it grew.

tape together stakes with electrical tape

Now, I added potting soil to the bottom of the pot. This is where I needed help from my husband. He held the plant, and I attached the stakes to the central part of the plant. I ensured the plant was inside the round circle of the metal stake.

Next, I added more potting soil while my husband held the plant and stakes. I added about 1 cup of water and padded down the dirt around the plant and stakes to help it stand independently.

The Big Reveal

Here is what it looks like now. I am so happy with it and am glad that it took. There was very little loss of leaves, so it seems to have transitioned well to the new pot. I placed the plant next to the 40+ year old corn plant, and when we returned from our trip after 10 days, we already had new growth - yay. If this plant seems like it is not a corn plant, and you know what it is, please leave a comment below, this was the closest to what this plant is that I could find. My mother passed years ago so I have no one to ask about it.

Tips on making this transplant an indoor 40+ Year Old Plant

Below are some tips when you transplant a corn plant.

Water - be sure to water the soil.
Layer the bottom with about 3-4 inches of potting soil at the bottom of the new pot.
Get help - Since the root system is not yet established, you will need someone to hold the plant as you add the soil to firm up the sides and keep it sturdy.
Light - be sure to have bright light and indirect light.
Temperature - it prefers average room temperatures between 65–80°F.

Please note that this corn plant is toxic to cats and dogs.