Root a cutting in a potato?

Saw this on HGTV this past weekend, but want some more info before I go out and buy 10 lbs of white potatoes. Can anyone help?

You mean you're rooting a potato cutting or your putting a cutting *inside* of a potato to root? I've heard of the former but never the latter....

For a science project it sounds neat but I wonder if it is worth it.


http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/425233/

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/704102/

I have't heard of starting the cuttings in potaoes, but it does make sense. Can see where it would work, because most of the augers used to do tissue cultures and other types of progation of cutures are made from potatoes.

You can make it at home, cutting a potatoe and stuffing the cutting in their is probably an oldtimey idea and where the culture tubes and petri dishes of today came from.

Every *single* day I hear something new!!!!

Oh, brother ! This is so neat ! I will definitely try it. Thank you. MIriam

I've heard of this, though have never tried it. Mostly from older gardeners, I've heard of using this method to root rose cuttings, with a quart jar inverted over the cutting. Very interesting about potatoes being the source of augers.

Has anyone had success with this? I wonder if the potato would keep the cutting from rotting maybe...Would it work with something like juniper?

Juniper is a really tough plant to propagate, I've heard. I have one that I've been rooting since last summer - last time I checked, still had no roots but is green and fresh looking.

I was told to stick a pencil in the potato and then put the rose cutting in the hole and plant this in a shady spot. I tried this and had no luck, but in theory it should work. It's not like a miracle rooting method though.

Has anyone had any luck trying this? Im not good st rooting and am always looking for something new to try ^_^
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starlight - Dumb question - what are "augers"? Thanks, Samantha

This message was edited Sep 23, 2009 3:28 PM