Heuchera emergency!

Hi Kids,

I need help, and I think I need it fast.

I was raking leaves and broke off a giant Heuchera. I now have a beautiful plant, with a 1/2" broken off stem in my hand.

I left the mother plant (no leaves, just the roots in the ground, maybe it will resprout, but what do I do with the plant sans roots? I do not have any rooting powder.

I have indoors; outdoors; under lights, not under lights; on a heat mat or not on a heat mat.

Or is there any hope?

Thanks for any ideas --
Suzy

Hi Suzy,
Just stick that stem in the moist soil and it will root itself. I have done several like that. Just keep it quite wet and it will do fine.
Carol

Hi Carol!!! Long time no see! Thanks for the tip. Do I need to put it on a heat mat or anything?

Suzy

Oh, I just put them in the ground. No pot for me. I would just make a hole in the ground where you want them to grow.
But if you want to do pots, no heat. Just let them do their thing on growing roots. Just keep the soil wet and they will.
Carol

LOL-- The difference between Oregon in March and Indiana in March? Or would you do it right in the soil knowing the frost and freeze will still be with us into April?

I still can do it outside.

Suzy

Well, yeah, guess I forget that you are COLD there now! LOL
I would pot it up then since you will be still freezing for awhile.

We had it freeze last nite here and I was surprised. But we have had a much colder winter than normal and plants are slow coming alive here.
Carol

Well guess what? I couldn't help myself and checked to see what was going on with my Heuchera stump and it has roots! Carol, I can't thank you enough for the swift response and excellent advice!

The funny thing is the roots are all coming out the side of the stump, not the cut (or butt) end where it broke off. It just surprised me is all. I had it on the far side of some fleuroscent lights and not on a heat mat. Ambient temp was 67-68 degrees. When I unpotted it to take my look-see, I cleaned off that end of the stump and put some roottone on it. Just in case there are more roots that could come out if they were encouraged a little more. :)

Thanks again!!! I cannot believe it worked, and now I want to break them all off to see if I can propagate them that way!

Suzy

Great, Suzy. Am so glad it is very alive, LOL
Yep, they root very easy. You can just break off the little shoots on the main plants and root those too.
Most things root from the node of the leaves, not the end of the stems. That is why you strip the leaves when you put the plant in soil, perlite/soil mix, etc. for rooting. I have propagated many plants this way in my perlite/soil mix. I don't like paying for plants so I make my own.
Carol

I knew they first rooted from the nodes, but I didn't realize that roots would never come out of the stump end. INteresting!

Suyz

I have a love/hate relationship with Heucheras. I just cannot seem to keep them alive in my garden. But, I needed some smaller than the big dudes they have in nurseries for a display, so I got a gallon pot Heuchera and ripped that sucker apart into four pieces. I was brutal. And they're all happy as all heck. I think in the right situation, they're indestructible.

Gotta agree, heucheras are very easy to divide/propagate. My dad has the biggest heucheras I've ever seen....growing in full sun no less. Last fall I pulled up one of his plants and absconded 1/2 of it before hastily pushing it back into the soil. The darn things are so big you couldn't even tell I had helped myself. I brought "my" 1/2 home, ripped it into 4 more pieces and shoved those in the ground too.

This spring I was rewarded with 4 beautiful plants that are every bit as nice as anything I'd have paid $7-$8 for.