Roots easily in water?

Thanks Sheila, I now remember reading it earlier. Guess I should go over the thread from the top. Joan

No worries Joan. Can't count the times I've done that too. =^)

Yepper, the air stones diffuse the bubbles. Very good way of saying it. I have two small stones and two large stones that I borrow from my aquarium from my bubbler.

I would suppose you could float the cuttings, I just never liked the idea of it. Things would tend to get tangled easily and there's no control on where the roots form. Sometimes if the leaves of a cutting sit in water too long they will rot and spoil the water too. Putting cuttings into cups avoids all that.

Rj, great tips!! I've had little luck using sphag moss as a rooting medium. Mine always dries out too quickly. Maybe I don't keep a close enough eye on it, or use too much heat. I gave up on it & will use it to line wire baskets. The temps you mentioned are very important! In my zone we just past our last frost date...hopefully. I had my bubbler sitting to close to the edge of my porch and everything got hit w/ frost. boo hoo. I haven't looked to see if the roots are still viable yet, too scared. And for light, I tend to keep my bubbler on my front porch...bright light but no direct sun, just like you said. =^)

I'm going to see if I can find last year's pics.

Hey, what do you know, first folder I opened!!

Here you can see the bubbles being diffused. You can see the big red cups too. Got them at the dollar store. Also you can see the aquarium gravel in the bottom of them...I only used that because that's what I had on hand. Use pebbles or whatever, don't buy something special.

There's a Brug in the center, Impatiens at 6:00 and the rest are Dianthus.

I forgot to say this is set up in a 2 gal bucket. I usually tape the air line somewhere on the outside of the bucket to help keep the air stone from flipping over. Sometimes I put gravel on top of the air stone to help hold it in place too. It really doesn't block the air...that's how you do it in an aquarium.

Here you can see the roots on a Dianthus and Impatien that I rooted in the bubbler. I don't remember how long they were in there. Prolly 2-3 weeks, it was prolly in mid summer. The Brug is Frost Pink and it was also rooted in the bubbler...was a cutting at the beginning of the summer.

This was also a Frost Pink Brug. LOL!! I kept turning her in circles to wrap the roots while she was in the bubbler. This wasn't a good idea. I think most Brug lovers would shoot me for this. I'll just call it an experiment. Laziness is more like it. But the point is....look at those ROOTS!! This was before I even began to experiment w/ H2O2, it was in plain water.

One thing I would like to say about rooting Brugs in bubblers is a word of caution. Brugs can carry some serious diseases that are very easily spread from one Brug to another. Any serious Brug collector knows the importance of sterilizing and sanitizing their tools and equipment. Placing many Brugs into one bubbler could produce devastating results if one of them happens to be sick. Some Brugs can be sick and never show signs of disease until cuttings are taken and mature. That's a risk you take when setting up a Brug bubbler. I've done it myself and had no problems. I've done it myself w/ Brug cuttings purchased off of eBay...big risk but still no problems.

Of course, this *could* happen w/ any plant in a bubbler. It could also happen in any environment, really. In a bubbler they share the same water, so if one is contaminated they all are for certain. I've never had this problem.

I'm not trying to freak anyone out, or turn anyone off of bubblers. I'm all for bubblers. I just wanted to mention this, especially w/ Brugs because some of us give so much to get some of them. You can consider setting up separate bubblers for each variety of Brug cuttings you have to make things more safe.

Heather

Heather, if the cuttings are in cups then where does the bubbler come in. Wouldn't it be bubbling just the water around the cups?
Whoops, just went and had another look and it seems that you've cut holes in the side. Okaaaaaaay

Joan

=^) Yepper, there are slits in the sides of the cups low enough for the water & bubbles to go thru. Even if the bubbles don't actually go thru the water is still very oxygenated and works it magic thru the slits.

Once you set one up you'll figure it out as you go. It does look complicated to see one in a pic, but making one is so simple. But, please feel free to ask any questions!!

Some day I'm going to set up one of my extra aquariums as a bubbler...lots of room & lots of light in one of those. Perfect!!

Man the DH and I just passed a double aquarium stand and the tanks on the side of the road last week!! Someone had set it out for trash. I tried to think of something I REALLY needed it for and couldn't. But now I need it! If I had been by myself, I probably would have gotten it anyway! LOL!

Cool..love the instructional pictures! I like the cup idea. I had so many cuttings sent to me this winter I took a grey shallow tub, and put and old dish drainer in it.. worked pretty good, but I can tell I will prefer the cup method.. And very nice and clean. Yes, I did my bubbler in Jan and feb this year..cups..yes cups...hahaha..
I just put 40 brug cuttings in little pots...this is a good time of year to use a soiless mix here..the first round already is growing.

Add perovskia (Russian Sage) to the list of rooting easily in water, did that this week. Cassia bicapsularis and Lion's tail just "sitting there", no roots yet.
As of June 17......now roots on Lion's Tail (leonotis leonurus)

This message was edited Jun 17, 2006 8:44 AM

Instead of a pump to an airstone, Why not used CO2 thru a needle valve to the airstone. CO2 is only about 50 cents per pound.

Just the post I was looking for.

Please help. This is my first try at a propagating from a leaf.

I have some philodendron Pink Princess (aka Lady) leaves that I removed from the plant and Im trying to root them in water. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/600771/

Here's the question....The ends of the leaf stems are almost sealed where they joined the growing trunk (they kind of peeled away). I just popped them in a glass of recent rain water to root . Should I recut the stems so there is some fleshy part inside exposed and dip them in rooting hormone before putting them in water.

Celt, I would make a fresh cut on them but I would skip the rooting hormone, it does seem to just wash away in the water. I always make fresh cuts before putting anything in water. As long as the cutting itself is still green and not wilted looking you still have a great chance it'll root, just cut it back till you see moisture where you cut. I'm sorry but I didn't have time to look at the other thread.


UUallace, you could try a CO2 set up and let us know what happens. I don't think you'd get good results unless you also included O, but what do I know?? I'm certainly not a scientist and am just trying to understand this stuff. I do have an aquarium, and have looked into setting up my own CO2 system, but decided my tank is too small and I'd prolly kill my fishums. My brain hasn't had enough coffee yet to remember everything about CO2 vs. O in a tank setup let alone talking about it in this kind of setup...so I looked it up and read just a bit about it to remind me. In a tank CO2 has a lot to do w/ photosynthesis because it can be so hard to deliver the amount of light that the plants require for best growth. Also, remember that the plants are growing there permanently, they aren't there for a temporary time to root (say 3 weeks at most) like in a bubbler. The point of the bubbler is to deliver more O to the developing root system so it will develop quicker and stronger. I've seen this happen and that's why I root everything in a bubbler.

A great experiment would be to set up 3 bubblers (at least). One w/ an air stone bubbling O. One w/ CO2 as you suggest. Another w/ both, so that the plants are getting both O and the benefit of the nutrients of CO2. If you're going to do all of that you may as well set up a bubbler and throw in some Miracle Gro or whatever kind of water soluble fert you use, then another w/ rooting hormone. I've always wanted to test my trace elements and etc. that I use for my planted tanks. See what kind of results you get...take lots of pics, keep a log...post it all step by step on a thread and in your DG journal. I'd be one of your biggest fans!!

I would actually offer to do the experiments myself but I'm already helping to test some ferts and soils this year and can't keep up with that. See thread here. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/612439/

Please post here and link to any thread that you'll post your info on if you decide to do this. I hope you do it. It would be exciting to see the results. We need more plant nutz willing to try stuff like this! =^) It's a neat idea in any case.

The aquarium bubbler set up uses air 80% Nitrogen, 19% Oxygen, 1% miscellaneous (CO2, etc). Fish need dissolved O2, except labrynth fish. Mold needs O2 also most bacteria. Plants can use CO2 for both elements. I have a 'carbonator' which will combine CO2 with water. I haven't figured out what to do with it. (Used no instructions.)

non sequitur
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Where on earth did you get a carbonator? LOL. I didn't look up plants using CO2 as elemental oxygen, taking your word for it. If that works you'd have the perfect set up.

Even w/ the air stone you're still getting "just" bubbles. If the O is dissolving I'm not seeing it...but then again, would I?? LOL. It works, don't get me wrong, but if you have a way of dissolving the bubbles, or even breaking them down into smaller bubbles that would be much, much better. I often place small pebbles on my air stones so that I get more and smaller bubbles rather than less and larger bubbles...trying to break it down if possible.

I've also wondered in my little un-scientific mind that if placing the pebbles on the air stone sometimes causes some bubbles to break in the water...releasing some O...rather than having them break open on the surface of the water.

I'm surely no expert, but I really do think that a carbonator would be an ideal set up for water rooting in a bubbler. I did a Google search for carbonator and got lots of hits. I'm sure you could find instructions for what you need through searching there. Carbonator hook up, carbonator installation, carbonator diy, home carbonator use....anything like that will probably bring you results that'll help. Let me know what you find and if you get it hooked up. I'd LOVE to know the results you get & I'm sure everyone else here would too!!

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This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 8:56 AM

I like to have the choice of propagating in water. Right now my nursery area is overflowing and when I get into the propagating mood, I do a LOT. I don't have a greenhouse and not a large area of shadecloth to work with,so when I'm propagating in pots, I'm doing 4 4inch pots in one plastic "grocery bag". This has always worked well for me, but I end up with 50-60 of these bags to be moved to the north side of house where they're unsightly, and need checking occasionally, opening, etc. It involves a lot of moving and things being in the way. I can do a lot more in less room with water and not having to worry about keeping the humidity levels up, etc. I can do a lot with water in the house, or if I'm cutting something back and in a hurry, I can just plop them into a vase. It's hard for me to cut things back without taking them as cuttings! It's simply one more method to be utilized.
Sherry

In addition to what Sherry has said I'd like to add that some of us are limited in time and physical ability. I'm sure you don't understand what I mean....

Some folks have 2 hours in their garden per week to get done what needs done. That's it. That doesn't leave much time for potting up anything extra. Water rooting is a blessing for them.

Being physically challenged makes a HUGE difference in the garden, ask me, I can tell you stories. Some days I'm lucky if I get to walk thru the garden, other days I can work from dawn till dusk. I just don't always know what kind of day it will be when I head into the garden and can't always plan things out perfectly. It's much easier for me to root in water because then I don't have to worry about being too tired to pot up what I've just cut. Also I don't have to worry about checking on the pots or keeping them moist on days I can't get to them.

Also, rooting in water is much more inexpensive than rooting in soil. You don't need the soil (as if I had to point that out), and you don't need the pots.

Above in this thread there is a list of other reasons why some of us have chosen to root in water and to discuss it. If you don't like the idea of rooting in water that's fine. I'm not crazy about the idea of rooting in soil, but I'd never drop into one of your threads and tell you all the things I've rooted in water, unless asked to go off topic.

Also, we are not talking about KEEPING or OVERWINTERING plants in water, although some plants can be kept overwinter in a bubbler. We are talking about ROOTING plants in water. There's a big difference.

One last thing. We are not worrying ourselves trying to do anything. We are discussing the ways we have rooted in water and possible ways to make it better.

Amen heathrjoy! If I can stick it in water to get it to root or even hold it over until I can get it in dirt then thats where it is going. I have stuff sitting in water all over my house and at work. So easy!

heathrjoy--
I hate to see anyone attacked in a thread. I think shirley was just stating her opinion and obviously, since it is naien's thread, naien might like to hear differing opinions. Some of the most interesting things I've learned has happened when someone went slightly off topic.

Personally, I prefer dirt too--but its a hard transition from indoors in water to eventually outside in dirt for a plant in Texas.

By the way, for those in the south, I found out quite by accident (in a flower arrangement) that russelia equisetiformis (firecracker plant) will root quite easily in water. It would make an excellent hanging basket in more northern regions and it attracts hummers better than a lot of our native plants do. The 'wispy' nature of this plant actually works out to the water advantage a little better than in dirt.

Now this is just my opinion. :)
Debbie

This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 10:52 AM

I would like to say something and then drop all of these unpleasentries.

I'm sorry that anyone felt attacked, myself included. I apologize for that, but also ask for the soil rooting praises to be kept to a minimum, whether or not this is my thread. I did feel on the defensive after Shirley's first post. It gets old having to defend water rooting to those who would rather root in soil. What's the big deal? Why does anyone really care how someone else roots their stuff anyway? As long as I'm not repeatedly asking you for cuttings because I keep killing them, how on earth does it affect you? (I don't kill my cuttings)

One of the reasons I became so interested and active on this thread is because I often feel that water rooting methods are overlooked. Most of the information you find about rooting plants is to root them in soil...and I've already listed some of the reasons that is not ideal for me. I'm a water rooter stuck in a soil world. Sometimes it's not easy and I'll jump at the chance to find good info and discuss better options.

As far as this being Naien's thread...it most certainly is!! =^) I've been wishing s/he would drop back in from time to time tho. I don't know if they are reading the posts, had their questions answered or just lost interest...but s/he started a great thread here. Naien, if you're reading, once this all settles down if there is still interest in this thread would you please start a second thread and link it? This one is getting long. If you're not around I'll do it, because I think it's important that folks get this info if they want it. Thanks!

I sincerely hope this can settle this and put it to rest. I don't want an arguement, fight or bad feelings.

Well I for one am anxious to try the bubbler, with h2o2 method. I have had mixed results at the fall seed planting inside and cuttings with hormone. I may not have luck with it either, but it did sound like it was easy!
I have my cups and tub, small pumps from past ponds and fountains, all I need is the peroxide and air stones. Yes!
Has anyone tried rosemary in them? I have a huge bush that I cut back about a bushel of cuttings off and threw them away because I have had no luck with rooting them. Yet that is, I haven't given up. I am sure it will work on trailing lantana and Mexican marigold. I just don't have time to pot them and wait.

I just read somewhere online in the last day or two that rosemary does root well in water, which surprised me. I have a huge bush to cut back and didn't want to waste the cuttings, so mine will get popped into water. I usually root them in peat/perlite, but will try this right now. Also read that yes, lantana does root in water. Someone posted here that Rose of Sharon does well in water, that also surprised me, will try a bunch in a couple of days.

I don't have an herb garden yet, waiting till every thing else is in place first, but will remember the tips on the Rosemary.

That's also some great news on the Rose of Sharon & Lantana. My RoS 'Lavender Chiffon' most likely doesn't come true from seed, although that didn't stop me from starting some. =^) And Lantana is an annual here in my zone and I lost all of mine last year. I'll be taking some fresh cuttings tomorrow!

Thanks!!

Can someone tell me again the ratio of the 3% drugstore variety to put in with tap water? Or how much I would add to 5 gallons. Like someone said earlier, this is a long thread.

I have found this thread so informative since I don't always have the time to pot up cuttings and I am aways sticking things in water just to see..I tried a cutting of my rose of sharon but never had any luck or maybe I just did not give it enough time and I gave up..I did have a MG that was growing in the wrong place and had a little root system already started and stuck it in a glass of water that I had a few other cuttings in and it has been growing up the kitchen window so now I need to find a place to plant it and the roots are getting so much big now..Anyone have any luck with gardenia cuttings in water..
Thanks for all the great ideas..

Vickie

From someone else's post, I wrote down 1 capful h2o2 to one gallon water...someone please correct me if I'm wrong
Sherry

Sheila, I've had that same question over and over myself, so I went and looked it up. I've read so many different answers to the question, it seems everyone has their own answer...so I Googled it.

Above Sugarweed had posted to use 1Tablespoon of H2O2 per quart of water (4 cups). That's a great recipe. From Google I read at many sites to use 1 oz H2O2 per quart of water. I measured it out and 1 oz, as best I can measure it, works out to be about 1 1/2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoon & 2 teaspoons). I don't think the 1/2 will make a huge difference if you're in a hurry or only have one spoon on hand. =^) This is only for 3% H2O2. I didn't look up the other % because most of us don't have access to them. Now, after looking it up I'll remember it!


I am so grateful to hear that MG will root in water. I know that when I would soak them and forget them they would sprout in water. That's wonderful news for me!

I've got plans to try some of my sickly Gardenia in water. I'm afraid I'm going to lose it...that's why I want cuttings. I'll try and take them this weekend and let you know how they look by the end of next week...if they are going down hill or looking ok...remind me if I don't post!

Great, I want to try to get a couple cutting of my little plant which I was surprised it has so many blooms on it now and two so far that has opened after winterizing it and dropping every blud up to this point and I did tried myself last winter to take a cutting but It did not do anything but I did only have them in plain water maybe I should have added some hydrogen peroxide and see if that made a difference.

I took a few cuttings off of my poor little Gardenia topiary a few months ago and stuck them in some soil. They lasted about a week. LOL I'm still learning lots about Gardenia, and I'm quite certain now that I used the wrong kind of soil, so I gave them no chance at all. That's the other nice thing about water...no worring about soil requirements until roots are formed.

Thanks Heather & Sherry for giving me the amounts on the H2O2. That sounds very easy to do. Now to get that air stone. I went out this afternoon and didn't go to PetsMart!

We had a bit of rain this morning just enought to wet everything and make it a bit cooler. I went out and worked in the yard, then errands. Now that blooming sun is making things steam out there, and I am tuckered out. May get out again later, I feel a nap coming on. :-)

I root everything in a pot of moistened potting soil placed in one of the plastic bags you get from blankets and comforter purchases. I pick anything I want to root, dip in in rooting hormone or not and stick it in the pot. I put the pot inside the container and zip it shut and place in a shady place. My spot is underneath my forsythia, because the branches come all the way to the ground and keep direct sunlight and intense heat out.
I have rooted forsythia, boxwood, roses, rose of sharon, and a dozen or more other things I can't thik of right now. I always have something going in there. Now it is a viburnum and some branches off of my flowering crab apple.It is fun to watch as they take root and start to grow.When they seem big enough I take the pot out and place it in open air in shade for several more months
Those bags are like miniature greenhouses.

I have a condensed version complete with thread links if this will help anyone. scroll down to H202 links, there is also measurements too. be sure to use the h202 in this warm weather as the decomposition rate becomes higher during the warm summer months. I will usually bring my water cuttings indoors in a/c during the summer..But it is really warm here not dipping below 70 at night.
http://davesgarden.com/journal/ed/index.php?tabid=1923

Rj

Thanks so much Rj!! Can't wait to check out that info!

This message was edited May 30, 2010 8:16 PM

Try rooting in 2 cups water 1 tblspoon H202 3% Hydrogen peroxide (drug store)- 2 drops of superthrive.
If you have an old aquarium pump- put the hose in your cutting water which delivers more 02 to the cutting..
For addtl info - check 2 posting up on my link - it has a hole section on cuttings with measurement and all.
good luck...(I am WA state alumni - Seattle)
Rj