Guide to Proplifting: How to find free plants!

DISCLAIMER: I do not condone shoplifting or purposely breaking off leaves or branches, I am simply showing you how to propagate something on the ground, already broken and destined for the trash; such as a small succulent leaf found on the ground. There is definitely a grey area with the legality of this practice, and I DO RECOMMEND ASKING STAFF before taking anything home. With this video I walk you through the technique of finding broken leaves or branches found on the floor of your local garden center, with the aim to propagate aka: proplifting. This is a practice that is somewhat controversial, especially if you are looking for the leaves at a business such as Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart etc. This is not something I suggest that you do at a small nursery, botanical garden or private property... Absolutely do not purposely ruin stock and do not pull leaves off of plants.

That said, it is very easy to grow a wide variety of plants FOR FREE from just a small leaf or branch. Come along with me as I show you, step-by-step, my process of finding leaves at Home Depot and bringing them home to propagate.

I'd love to hear your opinion in the comments, is this something you do? Is it something allowed at your own local garden center? Is it something you think is morally wrong? Let me know!

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#FreePlants #Proplifting #Propagation #PlantTips #PlantHacks

[FreePlantsForever]

It is VERY important to note that I am NOT CONDONING SHOPLIFTING or breaking plants/ruining stock with the intention of taking it, I RECOMMEND ASKING STAFF before picking leaves off the ground, as there is definitely a grey area with the legality of this practice and different stores have different policies about this practice.

[sarahrose]

I literally just got back from Home Depot 20 minutes ago. I found an absolutely dehydrated and abandoned rack of succulents. I got several viable leaves. The old lady working the register saw me, and actually picked one of the (mostly) dead succulents, put it in a bag for me, and whispered, "We're supposed to just throw these away. Take it home and give it a good soak. Don't tell anybody..." 🤣😍😢

[jjayneartworkx]

Once when I asked if I could pick up the broken pieces of succulents at my local nursery, the lady came back with a little box for all my pickings! 💚

[laurie]

I worked at Lowes. We throw away SO many plants in the dumpster that are still salvageable to grow. We had people ask if they could raid the dumpster all the time. We always said "Sure. Go for it. Rescue all you want." We didnt mind.

[GrizzerBear]

As a former manager of a Home Depot in D28 Garden Center.... I would have ZERO issue with customers picking up plant life that is laying on the ground. Through the Spring/Summer season it is nearly impossible to keep the floor clear of debris, and if a customer wants to pick up a piece of broken plant that's already on the ground... GO FOR IT

[LLjean-qzsb]

When I was younger, in my 30's, a statuary store with outdoor plants, went out of business and cut down all their larger trees and bushes in half, (and smashed the statues) thinking they would kill them. I went by to look around for anything salvageable and found a "trunk in a pot" sprouting a few leaves! I took it home and watered it and put it in the ground! I am 74 and it has turned into a Japanese Maple "bush", about 5ft tall! Never quite grew into a tree! When it is meant to grow, it will grow! Keep rescuing those plants! God Bless!

[lonismith]

I always ask the managers at my local Lowes and HD. They always either say “yes, just take it” or for large plant pieces, charge me $1. Easy peasy. Being ethical and honest pays off. Don’t be entitied or shady. Lol
Great video!

[shannonbailey]

I didn't even know you could grow a plant from a leaf. I saw the word free and stopped to watch. Thanks!

[Kellie]

The employees at our local HD will sweep up the leaves and stems and leave them in a pile for people to “proplift” from. They work in the garden center because they love plants and want to save as many as possible. They’d rather people take them home than throw them in the trash.

[lissa]

When I was a little kid my older sister worked at a florist.She would bring my mother pieces of plants and of course regular plants for birthdays and holidays.By the time I was 18 my mom had so many plants it was amazing.We lived on a second floor in an apartment.There where plants everywhere it looked like a jungle.Love those memories.

[RealBradMiller]

One day I visited my local nursery, and when I got home I found a tiny opuntia stuck to my shirt. Been nearly ten years, I still have the same plant! Propagated many more off of her, too.
At my Lowe's I just put cuttings or broken pieces in a pot I am buying, and they always tell me I can keep them! I still ask every time! ☺️☺️👍👍

[Beverlykeys]

My daughter went to work at Lowes in Chattanooga, TN during the pandemic because she was laid off from her job as a server. Chattanooga had several tornadoes hit and during clean-up she asked the manager if she could have some of the plants that they were throwing away that were damaged. When I came to visit, I couldn’t believe all of the gorgeous plants in her home. I was super impressed that she really took to raising plants and had such a green thumb. She had some of the most beautiful Easter Lily’s that I’ve ever seen in my life. Especially great that she rescued those plants and revived them so well!

[swikfors]

I’ve been doing this for years. I refer to it as “gleaning.” The other fun thing to do is toss wildflower seeds out the window while driving down the highway but do it before a good rain. Put some beauty along our highways.

[Chelle]

My mother, who passed away a few years ago at 94, used to do this all the time. I would go to her house and say, what a lovely plant. She would say, yes, that's from that leaf that I picked up when we went to the Walmart Garden Center. She never asked for permission.
She also loved to make rock gardens. She would come over very early in the morning to make one in my backyard, and when I remarked about how similar and beautiful the rocks were that she was "finding, " she told me that she had picked them up off the street where the city crew had left them. The city was using large river rocks to pave a meridian near my house. I told her that she couldn't just take those - it was stealing. She got very indignant and told me, no, indeed the city workers had left those there for anyone who wanted them.

[jujubee]

I think it is so sweet of all of you that proplift ! Giving that poor leaf or stem on the ground a new lease on life❤

[emanuelarocco]

I told a women at the garden center who was buying so many marigold plants. I told her to buy 2 plants and when the flower head is done to get the seeds out. You will never have to buy more marigolds 🤩

[lisayip]

I feel heartbreaking seeing dried up plants at the clearance sections. You are saving them!

[RRaucina]

This is not shoplifting, this is uplifting and plant rescue! Go for it.

[pamelapruitt]

Back in the mid 70s, I had a friend that carried sandwich bags with damp paper towels in them. She would take small cuttings off plants in the malls. Her house was full of plants and she really had a green thumb. Then in the 80s she started a company that took care of plants for commercial venues.

[corithefrugalflower]

When I used to work as a delivery driver, I once found this lovely Deifenbachia left out on the end of the walkway for the garbage pickup! I was horrified and "rescued" it, put it in a plastic storage tub in the truck & took it home! 🥰 After many cuttings/transplants some 15+ years later, I have created several offspring, many given as gifts! 😉