Cool cutting rooting method!

18 years ago

I was watching "Gardening by the Yard", and he showed a method for rooting hardwood cuttings that was really neat! He stuck it in rooting hormone, then poked a hole in a potato that was a little smaller than the cutting, then stuck the cutting in the potato. Bury the potato completely in potting soil, and it should root.

I've simply got to try this, as my best friend has a produce store and is always throwing out potatoes! Maybe you could ask at the local grocery to have all their tossable potatoes . Sometimes they have rules where they can't give them to you, but I made friends with the produce manager once, and he called me when he had certain stuff he was dumping. I was using his refuse in my compost pile.

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Comments (13)

grits10
18 years ago
wow! gotta try this one. musta missed that show....thanks for the info
alex_z7
18 years ago
I had forgotten about that! Thanks for reminding me. I saw that episode and meant to try it. I've not been having good luck with cuttings at all lately. Ooh, and I've got a bag of potatoes for just the job, lol.
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Hi Jenn, you're welcome! It really isn't all that difficult to wring out the paper. I like using three full sheets. I unfold them, laying them out flat, then put my hand right in the center, wrapping them around my hand and wrist while dunking them into a bucket of water for a few minutes. I pull them out, gently folding them into a twist and wring them out. There is a little tearing some times, but not terribly. If you're careful, you can wring out most of the water with little tearing because of the thickness of the three sheets. If it's more comfortable for you, fold them the best you can and run an old rolling pin from the kitchen over them until they no longer drip, but are thoroughly wet/damp. With the wet paper still twisted from wringing them out, grab the "rope" of wet paper in the center then just gently shake it back and forth. It will begin to loosen and fall open. It makes it easier for you to spread them out as a wet, three layer sheet. Process your cuttings and lay them in the center of the sheet with a label. Once you're finished processing all the cuttings, fold over the top and bottom of the sheet, the ends at the top and bottom of the cuttings, then begin rolling them tightly into the "burrito". Make sense? I've also laid out the three sheets of paper on the deck and thoroughly wet them with the hose, but that uses more water, so I prefer the bucket. My concern is your spray bottle may not sufficiently wet the paper. Dipping or dunking them into a bucket of water does. If the paper tears a bit, don't worry, just spread it out as flat as you can and use it. You'll have several layers of damp paper rolled up encasing the cuttings to provide them sufficient moisture so it isn't a real issue. If you're doing several batches, just put each burrito into a plastic bag to prevent it from drying and add each one to the bag as you complete it. Once you're finished with them all, gently squeeze out the excess air from the bag and tie it shut. I then put this one upside down into another bag and repeat the process. I've usually used three bags together, each one reversed from the other, to provide as much of a seal against moisture loss as possible, then placed them in the dresser drawer in the garage to keep them cool. When the weather is conducive for the work room attached to the garage to remain in the sixties degree range, I've also just laid them on a shelf in that room where they've also worked just fine. I understand what you meant about putting them on the refrigerator now, thank you. As long as the heat from the motor doesn't warm them, and they remain in the approximate temperature range, all should work just fine. I'm excited to follow your progress! Many years ago, very dear friends retired from this area and moved into the mountains north of Los Angeles. She was sad she had to leave the three bushes of Circus she planted at that house shortly after they bought it in the early sixties. After the move, I knocked on the door and introduced myself to the new owners and requested permission to take cuttings, explaining why I wanted them. They were delighted to share them with me. Both Janne and I were excited when I visited and handed her several own root plants of her beloved Circus, propagated from her old plants. She had some of her old garden, where she'd happily lived for thirty plus years and raised her six children, to grace her "retirement" garden. That connection with your old plant is a happy one. Been there many times and plan on many more! Kim
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There are three terms you might benefit from understanding. "Dormant", "soft wood", "hard wood". Dormant in my climate means wood which is removed in late winter/early spring BEFORE the plant begins pushing foliage and flowers. Some years that period seems not to occur, most years, it does. Hard wood is the growth BENEATH that which has most recently flowered. Sometimes it has older foliage on it, others, it doesn't. Sometimes that can be "dormant". Soft wood are the most recent flowering stems, usually those which have recently shed their petals. Wrapping, or "The Burrito Method", traditionally works most successfully with dormant material, though it CAN work wtih hard wood cuttings under optimum conditions. Most often, methods such as the "baggie", "terarium", mist, etc., require soft wood material, that which has recently borne a flower after the bloom has fallen. Dormant and hard wood material is "harder", it won't wilt easily and is usually more durable against harsher conditions. Its buds are more "dormant", requiring more time to mature before being stimulated into growing. Soft wood wilts rather easily as it is "softer", more juvenile. It usually contains more readily available nutrients, hormones, auxins, etc. which push new foliage and flowers. Under ideal conditions, it can often root very quickly. When I volunteered at The Huntington Library, propagating for the sales and gardens, I used soft wood material under their mist propagation set up. A flowering stem which had recently shed its petals could root under the usual summer conditions in the mist table in seven to ten days. Hard wood took several weeks under mist. Hard wood and dormant cuttings over winter in the green houses required three to four months. What is optimum for you to use depends upon a wide range of variables. You can study suggestions from other climates for each method, but you have to experiment with them where you are to determine which works best for you and at what times of the year. A rose breeder friend in Rancho Mirage has his best success in November using soft wood, if that helps. Kim
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I do pre-soaked 50/50 perlite/potting mix in clear containers. Then add an 3/4 inch of 100% fine dry vermiculite on top to seal out any fungus gnats or moisture loss. Then place them in a plastic ziplock bag. Once I see the roots in the cup and buds are starting to swell I take them out of the bag and put them on a south facing window (use suction cup shampoo holders). I put the clear cups in red solo cups to absorb heat and block UV from damaging the roots. Then I can pull the clear cups out and take a peek at development anytime. For watering if any pools at the bottom of the cup its too wet. If nothing condenses on the inside of the clear cup in full sun its too dry.
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Thanks for sharing :-) Love the writing on the lid! Sorry if I missed it, but where did you put the container after setting it all up? Someplace light/dark, room temperature or warmer? Did you check it occasionally and re-mist if needed? What did you do with the cuttings once they started leafing out like you had in the plastic container?
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dreamweaver_
18 years ago
How neat! I'm going to try it with some Lantana. Did they say about how long it takes to root in a potato?
Thanks!
spiderwoman
18 years ago
I hope you all realize that is a great-grandmother method of rooting things! It was my gram's favorite way to do up a rose cutting that was especially tough to root (I'm a grandmother now). It was supposedly the way that pioneer ladies managed to take their cuttings along to their new homestead. There was a good description of the method last year on one of the rose forums. Maybe it made it to
the FAQ somewhere.
spiderwoman
bruggirl100
Original Author
18 years ago
How cool about transporting cuttings! I may be moving, and it will be a great way to take along cuttings without having to worry about doing something about them right away when I'm trying to unpack.
username_5
18 years ago
I saw that episode and was confused by it. What I didn't understand is why it would work any better than moist potting soil.

Paul didn't explain that which was unfortunate as I like to understand the whys and hows of things.

The idea I liked better was taking a branch from a willow tree and letting it sit in a bucket of water for a day or so and using that as a rooting hormone. That made sense because willow trees are natural producers of the same stuff commerical rooting hormone powders use.

Also, wouldn't burying the potato result in a potato vine growing? why would a healthy potato rot away? I have had those things grow in my compost pile and they weren't healthy looking when put in it.
dreamweaver_
18 years ago
I hope you all realize that is a great-grandmother method of rooting things!

I am not surprised, seems our Great-Grandmothers knew lots of neat tricks!
I told my 91 yr old Dad about it & he said it made sense to him, his thoughts were the potato would provide the moisture it needed.

Wouldn't burying the potato result in a potato vine growing? why would a healthy potato rot away? I have had those things grow in my compost pile and they weren't healthy looking when put in it.

I've had that happen too, even harvested some potatoes from potato peelings that grew in my compost pile... :-)
socks
18 years ago
I suppose one advantage is that it will not dry out like potting soil can. You could even get the added benefit of a sprouted potato! LOL
Tyrell
18 years ago
What are you supposed to do when you want to plant the cutting in the ground, out in the yard?
I've had just about 100% sucess with starting cuttings. I think the key is to make sure there is good contact between the soil and the cuttings. If there is any air space whatever, the roots growing from the cutting can dry out and die.
What I do is make a hole in the ground with a metal rod a little smaller than the cutting I want to start. Then I Force the cutting into the hole, which insures very good contact between it and the soil. I also put a circle of grass clippings around the cutting, to keep the soil moister and cooler. The clippings should not actually touch the cutting.
Another little tip: if the cutting puts out leaves and looks fine for a few days, then suddenly starts to wilt if the weather warms up, shading it with a cardboard box can save it. What can happen is warmer weather results in the leaves transpiring more water than the just-developing roots can absorb. So the leaves wilt, and the cutting could die. Shading it significantly reduces water lost by transpiration, sometimes enough to be the difference between life and death for the cutting.
I had one grape cutting in just three months in Spring grow 29 feet!
average
18 years ago
I've got to try this, but I have a few questions. Can the potato go directly into the ground, or does it need to be started indoors? If it can go directly into the ground, should it be done in the fall or the spring? Thanks
jolj
13 years ago
I was 12 years old when I tried this, with a rose cutting.
The rose died,but the potato came up.
somadlyinlove
13 years ago
LOL have to try this maybe with rosemary. I have rooted it with out the potato but some make it and some don't. Like to try with grapes too. hummmmm need some cuttings but its 1:37 am
mommymammal
13 years ago
If you don't want the potato to sprout, cut out the eyes before you use it, or maybe peel the whole thing.

Cool cutting rooting method!

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grits10

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Cool cutting rooting method!

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