I have a small plant business and always give people pieces or clippings. It's part of sharing the love and building a community.

I purchased some plants at a market from a vendor and struck up a conversation. I ended up telling him how heartbroken I was that my Tradescantia had died recently due to some unfortunate circumstances. He immediately reached into his bag and pulled out a TON of Tradescantia cuttings and just handed them to me, gleefully. I have grown them into full, healthy plants. Plant people are usually pretty generous.

As a vendor who’s company contracts with home depot, please, PLEASE take the fallen leaves if you want them!! Otherwise they just get stepped on or rot or eaten by the birds. Just don’t pull leaves off the plants. We also tend to just throw away an unacceptable amount of product that usually just needs a repot or some water, so if you see a vendor, ask! We’re happy to give out any product that was destined for the trash. The worst we could say is no!

Here’s one to add to your list: restaurants! Specifically, I love growing new basil plants from the stems when I get pho from Vietnamese restaurants. They usually give an array of items to add to the soup on a side plate and I’ve had many a basil plant started this way.

My son found a lavender plant that was going to be thrown out at Home Depot. I remembered your video and we asked the cashier if we could pay for it, we ended up getting that plant and another sunflower plant for free. My son was so happy that he was able to save two plants. Thank you!!

Great video ☺️ I get free plants from Lowes and home Depot all the time. Also when the trucks unload new plants, the truckers will let you have everything left on the floor of the truck. I'm gonna make a video soon also of all my free plants. Thanks for sharing and happy gardening 🌿🌱😊🤗

I live up north where a lot of plants don’t make it thru the winter unless you bring them into your house. My friends laughed at me when I tell them I go to the cemetery in the fall and get free plants people throw away when they clean up the graves. I never take anything off a grave but do look thru the garbage cans that are set out.I have gotten hardy mums, germanium’s, vinca , spikes, dusty miller ,and some bulbs after Easter.I keep them in my basement and around late April or May I cut them back (germanium) and repot them and bring them upstairs in sunny windows.I have a gorgeous pink germanium that I have had for 6 yrs now. In the fall I just bring it back in.

When I was 8 years old I discovered cactus and succulents. And when you’re a kid, you don’t really have money to buy anything, so I went around and knocked on all the neighbors doors that had plants that I liked and asked if I could take cuttings. After a while I had a huge collection. And in later years I would dumpster dive at the local nursery every day after closing and would get a whole truck full of plants and pots that they discarded. In fact I had so many of these plants, I gave two truck loads to the local garden club for their plant sales.

Somewhere out there is an older gardener that can't get out as much and would love to trade some baby plants for like 5 minutes of weeding. I was helping the neighbor, and there were like 20 Japanese maple seedlings she let me scoop up. I kept 10 alive over the winter, and they just took off. Not to mention all the overgrown plants she needs divided... Lariope and lillies galore! Also, this weird curly tree has a branch touching the ground that is rooted, so I might get that too and start my own :)

I admire your ethical, frugal ways of getting free plants !

I was at lowes admiring new racks not unloaded yet “I want them all!” Lowes employee responded “ a lot of them will be in the dumpster in a few weeks” if you are willing to dumpster dive.

I have a friend that works in the floral department at a grocery store. She has saved me plants that are about to go into the compost . I call it my compost collection! I’ve brought so many plants back to thriving . She loves seeing my photos

My neighbor and I are exchanging. Sometimes i leave plants for her, and sometimes she had left me on the porch! It is the best feeling!! Like having gift just for me!!

Gardeners share. Sharing and community is a big part of a gardener's ethos. At least the ones I've met.

Check the carts in the parking lot There are always broken stems in some of those

My husband is a landscaper so i lucked out. Sometimes people move and want their young trees or shrubs removed, and guess who takes them? My husband, and brings them home to me :)

I’ve also rescued plants from neighbors that are moving and left them out on trash day. Also they can’t be bothered taking the plant to their new home. As a plant lover I’ve seen plants at stores that are pitiful looking and asked for a discount. I got a 5’ Dracena at IKEA…it was the last one…and the top 12 inches was at a 90degree angle. I got it for $3.00👍👍👍. I still have it. Yes it straightened itself.

the last one so true, i used to work at a seasonal garden center that used venders and frankly it was heat braking exprience. we threw away so many plants every day, to make room for truck loads of new plants. it sickens me that we throw away all those plants instead of giving them to shelters or free to food shelf or anything like that, we had no training and one time a coworker of mine over watered the tomatoes and i had to throw away 5000 moldy tomatoe plants and it wasnt even a problem cuz the truck comes in the morning that was the motto...o well truck comming in the morning... we tossed more plants then we sold and its sickening. please resuce plants from garden centers its a disgusting practice

Paused @1:02 To compliment 1) Your acknowledgment of possible privilege at play. 2) The first tip just smacked me in the face about an hour ago! Last week I trimmed off all the new shoots from my spider plant not thinking much of it. So, I'm excited to watch the rest of this video. Lol...😊

I got a tree at Lowes for .25¢ that they were throwing away. Now it is a big beautiful tree in my yard

Taking clippings from neighbors yards is how many gardens have become great places, of course you should always share 😊 When I walk my dog, I see my plants all over my neighbors yards!!

I respect what you are saying here and have a story to relate on what not to do. My parents owned a home in a high price neighborhood along a winding street. The opposite side of the street is an untended river bank. Over the years, my parents landscaped the section of bank across from their home. It became a popular rest stop for joggers, children, fishermen, and assorted passers by. One rainy day, two well-dressed ladies parked an expensive car, took a shovel out of the trunk and dug up all the full grown hosta. A neighbor noticed their umbrellas and enquired. They said they were collecting the plants for an impoverished friend. The gall. On a side note, my father was of German heritage and adopting the care of untended land is a very German thing to do. It is just for the pleasure of creating beauty where there was none. It upset him terribly to see his work undone. The day we buried him, I stood outside the cemetery chapel waiting for the crew to prepare his casket for the grave. I stood among all the funeral flower arrangements that would be placed upon the grave, the wreaths, bouquets, etc. A couple came strolling along among the gravestones. And right in front of me, they helped themselves to his roses. I was already hurting too much and could not speak a word at that unspeakable deed.

My friend started doing a plant swap. Bring a potted plant to share from your flower garden or house . We numbered everyone and allowed them to take their turn to pick a plant. We then shared a lunch. It was always a hit. ❤

I love how concise and informational you are. You just get to the point, and everything you say is totally helpful. Thank you! 😊

OMG. I watched this video a few days ago, just on a curious whim. A little later my husband needed to go to HD. I wanted to get a pothos to put in my aquarium (another video I had watched), so off we went! While I was browsing around I saw a nice looking ~3-5 gal plastic pot with an insert which was upturned in a trash bin! I pulled it out and put it on the bottom of the cart and went on shopping. I also found about 5 broken pieces of plants (3 succulents, 2 unidentified). We bought some annuals for the pot which now looks nice on our porch. The guy didn't even bat an eye when I asked about the pot, the plant pieces are now in water to start roots, all free, and it was all due to your clever video!! I had to come back and say thanks!

What i like to do is to make notices, for example at local stores or websites for trading and then trade your cuttings, offshoots, seeds etc. with the ones from people in your neighborhood

Local plant swap! Make friends with your neighbors. Other gardeners LOVE giving garden tours and sharing plants! My best plants are gotten this way. The plants you admire in your neighbor’s garden is already thriving in your same climate.

Thank you for these videos! I started proplifting because of your videos! I used to take every loos leaf I found, but now I’m getting more selective. I don’t take leaves from plants that I already have plenty of. Only plants that are unique and I don’t already have. I always ask. I carry a ziplock baggie in my purse for them. And, I always ask permission. I also buy plants from them. Usually my local Home Depot. I’m hoping that in Spring, they will introduce new varieties. Then I can start again. Happy New Year!

I collect airplants from trees in my neighborhood. I love them!

One of my favorite parts of hiking is taking some small, harmless cuttings of cool and interesting plants while I'm on the trail. Great way to get some small cuttings to start cloning!

I've known several people who were moving or even college students leaving college who treated their plants like pets but couldn't take the plant with them but wanted their plants to go to a "good home" and gave great plants away. I have also been in Home Depot and noticed many succulents that suffered root rot. (I have bought several plants from there.) I asked the woman who tended the plants if they shouldn't be in the "sale" section or if I could get them at a discount. She said sure 50 cents. I said I would take several (4 or 5). She said 50 cents for all of them. We went to the counter and they didn't know how to ring them up so they gave them to me with a $0.00 rec't. Unfortunately, I ended up trying to propagate so many that many did not survive and I felt sorry I got so many...

A friend just told me she needed some shade loving plants to keep the kids from riding their bikes across her lawn. I dug out eight huge pots of hosta, spiderwort, and sedum for her to create that perennial barrier she was hoping for.

I did my first proplift today at Home Depot. I bought some plants and other items too but I must admit the proplifting was the most exciting part! 😅 Thanks for the tip!!!

I collect seeds where I walk, it is the best way to get plants! When I see volunteers in my yard I love it.... I agree with my own collection I spread the love throughout my yard and my home 😊

The graveyard across the street from me has a ton of free plants :) The forest right behind it has huge beds of creeping myrtle. :) If you got a keen eye in the forest you can find some cool stuff, just use your phone to ID plants :)

My mom saw a piece of Wandering Jew plant in the trash bin at Meijer. She asked an associate if she could have it and they obliged. The plant is gorgeous. Also, I've asked ppl at Home Depot and Lowes if i could have the plants that were 99% dead. My flower beds are full of those dying plants that are now thriving.

We just got free plants from Home Depot today. The vendor was there pulling old/dry plants. He let my son pick out what he wanted to take home. ❤️

The Magic Word is.... *ASK* 🌸🌷🌺💖💮🌸🌷💖🌸 Having worked in the private nursery industry, the big box garden center, the grocery store floral and plant center, and my own home plant sales., I can say that I would Not encourage people to just randomly go around collecting " broken" plant parts. Or dead heading seeds Employees in most of these places are not allowed to do what you are suggesting. And it would definitely get a person fired for theft. And those employees really don't have the authority to allow pilfering. So it stands to reason that we don't want the public pilfering either. It just leads to problems. And... If I saw someone just randomly doing this at my own place , I would be furious. I don't want any one messing with my plants in any way, without ASKING. It is a slippery slope that can lead to pinching and " OOps " breaking of plants . There are always exceptions, and proper ways to glean from other people's abundance, as you shared here. Just ASK. 🌸 A good rule is... If you have to sneak, or you feel like you might be doing something wrong... Don't Do It. Just Go Ask. You may get even more than you imagined. Most plant lovers chose life for the plants, and want the plants to survive. .

Farmer's markets are a great place to get small starter plants for very cheap. Many growers will only charge $1-$3 per plant and if you repeatedly buy from them, they are often generous. I've gotten several plants completely free this way.

So many of my "new" plants are from seed and snipping. Did not know I could profligate my fiddle leaf. Great channel. Great tips. Thank you

You're such a pleasure to listen to. These free plant ideas are great, and obviously done responsibly. Thank you for all of your insightful and educational videos. Every time I move, I say goodbye to all my outside babies and trees, because they feel like a part of me. And if I can't take all of my potted plants with me, I make sure they go to good homes.

For stuff on the ground, stores like Walmart and grocery stores get racks of plants for special occasions like easter, mother's day...well we don't even water them, let alone pick up broken pieces, so yeah these places are great for getting cuttings. I work in such a store and I picked up and rooted 3 kinds of miniature roses, various succulents and different vin-like plants, recently I even picked up a venus fly trap that was knocked out of a container. The pot and wrapper go in the "losses" bin but the plants go in the garbage/compost. Towards the end of the sale the plants looks sad and thirsty, no one buys them, they all go in the garbage, but you can talk to a manager and ask for a deal. You can get alot of stuff for practically nothing.

Just found your channel and I LOVE IT!! If it's free, it's for me. As far as garden centers go, my Lowe's and Home Depot love getting rid of leaves that break off, parts of plants that just crack and fall off the mother plant. If more people did what you do, the garden centers would be a lot neater. Next time I go in my Lowe's I'm going to look for fallen, broken leaves and plants. I may have to remind them of the 20 bags of mulch I bought a few weeks ago for my newly designed flower bed. I particularly liked the clearance plant you got in your other video. I never thought that even though you may have to nurse a plant back to health, look at the gorgeous pot you got. Please, please keep up the great videos. At 76 I'm always looking for bargains and free stuff.

Love this. And I agree, it's not stealing if you know it's headed to the trash.

I've done all of those things to fill my yard or for fillers; and, I've even asked store managers if I can take a couple of Cuttings from their yard garden/car park decor. I've never yet been refused; it's all in the respectful way you ask, and even better if you can assure the store manager, from their questions (most don't ask, or are amused), that you know what you're talking about when discussing plants.

I'm only a beginner indoor plant keeper but, in the last few years, I've managed to give away some orchid kikis that I successfully potted up and significantly increase my succulent collection by propagating the leaves that fall off my own plants! I'm not completely confident yet with what I'm doing but it's getting there. I also have to regularly chop and prop my echevaria due to etiolation. I have just chopped and propped my rather unruly Monstera Deliciosa for the first time and I'm hoping that also goes well! While it's not free, but instead very cheap, I've had some real bargains from my local Lidl as they will sell off, for €1, any plants that didn't get sold during the current plant promotion. I also look on the 'scruffy and battered' reduced to clear shelf at my local garden centre. This has lead to me buying some plants that I'm unfamiliar with and breaking out of my comfort zone! It's a fun way to experiment. I'm definitely going to check for fallen leaves next time that I visit though :-)

I have an extensive garden and love growing plants from cuttings which I then give away. I just leave them out the front of my house, people take a plant and leave me an empty pot. Everyone knows me as the plant lady. Lol

I have no problem with this, you ask,and you don't damage. I think I will try this idea when out or at the stores mentioned. Where do you live ( not you're address). Tyvm

I am from Santa Barbara and my grandmother’s yard and house as full of these kind of free plants. I have gotten most of mine from gifts or family and friends plants. Community is the best

I believe you. I do the same thing my husband tells me to stop but I'm learning how to grow them some fall at the store we was at Walmart and the lady told me to take it. Walmart won't regrow them 😊

I can remember going into restaurants who had hanging plants and asking if I could have a stem. I was never refused. Of course, I never took a stem that would leave a hole. But that was back in the 70s when I was young. Now I just buy them. I will have to look around and see if I can pick them up.

Nice video. Very informative. Any negative comments is because they are just jealous of your creativity and the time you have to do this.

Greetings from Alberta Edmonton! I do this as well. I love my local Home Depot garden centre, and anytime I've asked, they were ok with me taking the 'dropped' or discarded leaves.

My grandmother loved her plants, from the African Violets to those little plants with pink flowers that surrounded her home, she never went anywhere without her plastic bag with the damp tissue and her tiny little embroidery scissors. God i miss her.

Just because it’s broken, doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a good home.

In Maine, most of the stores that are like Walmart home Depot Lowe's they all have plants in the spring and they have no problem as long as it's on the floor and not going to be used if you take it. I always ask. And when I say proplifting all on meaning is I'm taking props that won't be used, lifting them and bringing them home and making something out of them that otherwise would be thrown away. So, yes I am a proud proplifter!!

If you find a plant near death at Walmart 9/10 they'll let yoy have it when asked or they'll heavily discount it. My m.i.l. is the plant discount queen there. 😂 We asked awhile back at Home Depot & they were fine with us taking leaves off the ground. Buy a rooting hormone & voila! Beautiful plant.

I subbed and this is my first vid of yours I have seen! I NEED to start doing this plus learning how to germinate things- seeds, leaves, branches etc. Thank you for the content!!!!!

Thanks for this, so glad I found your channel! I never would've thought of these ideas to get free plants! It makes so much sense though. I'm new to the plant world, never had a green thumb but I just got my first Yucca (hardy plant, so hard for me to kill lol) and my first Dumb Cane. Thank you so much!!

I started my large collection of purslane plants from plants I found growing on my walks around the neighborhood! I find a lot of wild onions and such also!❤

I found two sprigs of Wandering Jew in the parking lot of Lowes - not near the store at all- took them home and they have just taken off. It’s amazing what you can find on the ground.

I always taken broken pieces from my local, family owned nursery and they could care less. Told me it helps them out by not having to pick it up themselves and toss it.

So glad this popped up on my KZfaq. My girlfriend use to take a baggie with a wet napkin, when she went out for her cuttings. LOL

TY for all your great ideas. I’m just starting to get back into having plants again after several years. You are so encouraging & enthusiastic! I’ll now be looking around for new-to-me plant opportunities 🥰

When you mentioned driving around looking for plants and your family laughing at you, that reminded me of how my mom would always stop after picking me up from school and grab seed pods from the side of the road and i would give her a hard time lol. She'd also grab seed pods from zoos and other outdoor gardens and she'd make me put them in my purse 😂

I found a broken leaf at Home Depot on the floor , not in the pot , I took it , it’s doing beautifully . ❤

Appreciate you saying ask first. I had a purple rose that someone once helped themselves to cuttings. they cut it too far and it didn't make it through the winter. Never knew who did it.

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I haven’t read the controversy comments on the other video but you really couldn’t be clearer about what you mean by ‘proplifting’. I mean is it even proplifting at a big chain like Home Depot (or Bunnings here in Australia) where as you say it’s all gonna get swept into the bin? Be fun to see a tour of your free plants.

You can't imagine how many people will take dormant plants to the local dumpsters in the fall thinking they are dead. I get a TON of ferns this way.

I like you. Easy going, you don’t talk ,talk ,talk, until I turn away. Goof info, and most relaxing viewing. Thank you.

I get free plants from an ace hardware store, a local store that sells everything including plants. All by leaves on the ground. I ask all the time before taking. I love free plants. Btw just subscribed to your channel.

I've made friends with the folks at a local garden center. I have seen them using leaves and cuttings to start more plants, but they will always give me a prop if I spend a little time geeking out about a certain plant with them. It probably doesn't hurt that I drop plenty of money on other plants and supplies there lol.

Where I live, our library has a connection to a Seed Library (as well as a Tool Library!). Seeds can be donated as well as taken.

This video is a golden nugget for sure. My mom would always share her plants with friends. ❤

Glad I found your channel. I get free plant all the time the same way. The leaf’s on the ground at Home Depot and Lowe’s just go in the trash.

We got a BUNCH of mint from a local community garden we were cleaning up, it had grown out of the bed, we also thinned the bed to make room for more growth.

I like air layering for free trees and woody plants. Takes permission and time but works a treat

I always save the broken plants we’re giving them new life instead of letting them die ❤

Blessed to live in you area (west coast). TONS on exotic plants everywhere!

The good Lord provides so much. In His design, He gives us tons of seeds with each plant, and all these other ways to propagate plants. Praise God!

I have gotten plant pots and plants at the grocery store. I asked about the cracked pot and it was given to me. Two very large neglected dried up tomato plants. I asked for a discount and I got both for $3.00.

As an African American girl. I appreciate you saying you under that you have some privilege. Usually people are nice to me, but mainly because I'm nice first. :)

Someone helped themselves to a large chunk of my beautiful bottle brush bush...in the process they seriously damaged the bush. Always ask people before helping yourself to parts of someone else's plants. I would have readily given them as much cuttings as they want, but it is done at the time the plants are pruned.

LOL, I was just at Home Depot today getting about half a dozen veggie plants for the summer. I went by the succulents area as I always do on the few occasions that I go to Home Depot, looking for fallen leaves. Only saw one and it's now at my house sitting in some dirt. Hopefully, it will grow some roots/babies. Do I consider it stealing? Hell, no! It's my version of doing their clean-up maintenance in exchange for the dropped leaves and stems.

Thank you so much 😊 I look forward to seeing more

Great information!! I learned from my grandmother about some plants, spider and inchplant, to propagate with clippings ... it works perfect... enjoyed your video...😊

When I am plant shopping vegetables are other I always look in the pots for more than one plant in that pot. Just this past weekend I got six extra tomato and pepper plants because I bought the pots that had two plants in them.

Just found your channel today. Bless you for covering this. I've done it for years with some detriment only to myself. TOO DARN MANY PLANTS! But I keep doing it and giving plants away. Thank you. ❤😊

My DMV had marigolds so I dead headed a ton and have loads of seeds. I love it!

Thanks for your great advice.

What a genius idea for a You Tube Channel. ❤️ I love this!

I find your advice straightforward, honest, planty (that's a compliment), and wise. As a 70 yr old, w serious health issues I didn't have until 2015, I subsist on less than $10K/year and fully support my 16 yr old autistic grandson (his parents are immature + have issues w drugs). Having said all that -- my ego tells me I don't deserve or need help of any kind. It's like I'm an entitled masochist! Sigh. Watching, subbing your channel, is my effort to work on this, instead of simply fantasizing about feeling well enough to get a job (in crummy, Republican Utah -- where working people get the least possible consideration, public transport, jobs, wages, etc.). 🙆‍♀️c

I have had much better success at Home Depot on Saturday evening. The daily cleaning up process created a whole buggy full of ½ dead/alive plants and the garden manager allowed me to get what I wanted from the buggy…the particular vendor did not collect the dead plants they just put them in the garbage bin. SUPER SCORE. $125.00 worth of potential regrowth beautiful plants…Yay! 4 hydrangeas 4 flats of petunias and white salvia,marigolds and several tropical plants that I don’t know a lot about. But this particular shopping trip we also spent 150.00 on potting soil, pine bark chips, Monterey BT, fertilizer and pool,cleaner.

So happy I found your channel & subscribed !😊

I just dug up a blackberry bush that sprouted across the road from me yesterday. You can get free plants from home depot like crazy, but my way is just buying "single" plants that are clustered in one pot and separating them at home. It turns a single plant sale into as much as 5 free extra plants Also, (in my humble opinion) screw any corporate box store like HD or Wal-Mart. they get money anyway when they let their plants die from disease or dehydration and throw them away, and they don't have a nursery mentality, those broken stems and leaves are garbage to them so I have no judgements about people sneaking cuttings intentionally if they feel inclined. It doesn't hurt the plant, and it doesn't take their sale away either. anything that falls off the plant is definitely fair game. Crazy that people would defend corporations and consider taking a leaf off the floor "shoplifting" in this day and age.

This is some really smart salvaging!

Free is great. I found a poor begonia fallen out roots intact at Lowe's, I put on top of soil if plant I was buying. I told the girl about it expecting yeah take it it. Instead she said no, they HAVE to throw it away. No report, don't try to save it. And I felt a little like a thief. Next time I'm not saying anything. I drop a lot of money at Lowe's, this one tiny plant cost them way more $ than it was worth. I'll be going to Home Depot much more

I’ll pinch a succulent leaf off in Walmart- different stores- they never care. And if you ask the team leader in the garden area- they’ll discount. Yesterday I asked about a couple that were needing rescue & he discounted ALL of mine! Even the big 2-3 feet tall corn stalk & palms! Always ask!!

I'm a free Gardner I don't usually buy anything for gardening but i love gardening. So far I only bought some fruit trees and some rose plants and some vegetable seeds. If I see a beautiful plant in the neighborhood which can be propagated I simply ask if i could get a cutting or seed. That's how I made my beautiful garden. I prefer true to seed verities so I can always regrow them. I have a good collection of vegetable seeds. If someone ask me for cuttings or seeds I'd be really happy to share. As long as they're not stealing and damaging I'm happy to give them cuttings or seeds myself.

Here's a #6. Go for a hike and find plants in the forest. I am an herbalist in training and find natural "weeds" that are medicinal plants. I plant them in pots so I can forage on my deck instead of the forest.