A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Starting plant cuttings in water

OK, now I know I am garden nutz. I took a cutting from my Mona Lavender and put it in a glass of water, to see what would happen. 6 days later, it has roots started. So, guess what I did.

I normally take mine out of the water when the roots look and feel like they can have dirt packed on top of them without them breaking off. That's what i did with my angel wing begonia cuttings anyway ^.^ My watermellon pepperomia cuttings are just plain weird lol. They root these clear roots that snap off really easy, so i gotta start em in soil, otherwise they'll just kinda get really weak for a long time before they root again.

But ya ^.^ take em out when the roots look like they're nice and tough, or are long enough to the point where they're kinda making a ball.

~Phoebe

Thanks Nako for the info, if they all root, will have lots to trade with.

I have just done the same thing, with datura, i hope it works.

Yeah, I wait until there are bunch of roots and then plant it in soil.

I'm just wondering...is it better to let cuttings root in water and then transfer to soil, or to put cuttings directly into soil?

I really can not answer your ? on whether to start cuttings in soil or water. I have killed everything I have tried to root in soil, so am trying the water this time.

If you do it in soil, you need to keep the soil constantly moist, and make sure there's a node under the surface

~Phoebe

Well, I still can not figure out how to not have a whole lot of dead sticks and rotting vegetation when I try to start cuttings in soil. It has never worked for me, but I will keep on trying.

Frustratedattimes,
I know, at least for the lavendar you can take pieces of the plant and bend them over, take a U shaped pin, carpet staple??, heck probably even a safey pin or bread tie shaped in a U, and hold the plant branch down on the ground, throw a bit of dirt on top of it, and put the U shaped thingie on top of it, and push into the ground to hold it down, or even a small rock.
As long as it's attached to it's momma plant, it'll still get nutrients for the momma and the node will then root into the ground, when it's got a good contact to the soil, it'll take root.

Weezie