Plant propagation offers gardeners a unique way of keeping plant genetics and reproducing new plants from a known source while increasing their plant number. Propagation can be cost efficient and is helpful in keeping copies of plants that can also be passed down from family generations to the next. Kentucky Extension Master Gardeners offer classes at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension offices about plant propagation. There are two different types of propagation, sexual and asexual. Sexual propagation are plants made from seeds or spores, and asexual propagation is when plants are taken from the mother plant such as stem or leaf cuttings, layering, or division that can reproduce the same characteristics of that mother plant. 

To promote plant propagation, Monroe County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent presented Houseplant Propagation and Houseplant Swap leader lessons to all ten counties of the Mammoth Cave Area Extension Homemaker members. The Monroe County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent attended a Master Gardener training on Plant Propagation hosted by the Warren County Cooperative Extension Office and had assistance from local University of Kentucky Horticulture Extension agents to prepare the lesson. The Monroe County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent also attended a local plant swap that was hosted by Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Park with attendance of members from the Monroe County Garden Club to learn about plant swapping. The lessons consisted of a video with PowerPoint that discussed different ways to propagate houseplants, and simple ideas of how and where to have a plant swap. PowerPoint also included tips on how to care for the houseplant. Other information included in the lesson was publications from the University of Kentucky about plant propagation and indoor plant care.

In the Mammoth Cave Area, there are ten counties that total around six hundred forty-one Homemakers that had access to the lesson. One hundred sixty-two members received their lessons by mail. Around one hundred and four evaluations were submitted to the Monroe County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent. 

According to the evaluations, sixty-four Homemakers reported that they gained an excellent level of understanding of the plant propagation overview after receiving the lesson. Sixty-six Homemakers reported that they plan to propagate their household plants, and thirty-four homemakers plan to start or participate in a community house plant or seed exchange.  Additional comments, one participant commented that they looked forward to sharing the information with their gardening club. Another participant commented that the information will be very useful in helping with a spring garden. Finally, one participant expressed the excitement of gaining the knowledge of learning how to have more houseplants.