Make sure to use a clear glass when rooting in water, that is one trick I learned the hard way, I placed a cutting in a yougert container of water and never could get it to root, meanwhile the cuttings I had placed in a single rose vase, for the look more than anything rooted like crazy!

I've always had luck with plain water rooting.
usually, I'm in a hurry and just stick something in a glass and leave it in the kitchen window.
that's on the north side and I think they might even root faster in a different location but it works this way and I can't move the house around..lol
tonight, I just potted up 14 spider plants. at first, I was going to put 3 in a pot each, then decided to just do one each and see how long they take to get longer and spread out. I have some of the food granules and will feed them in about a month, or so...not sure how soon but I do know not to do it right after repotting

the pots I got don't have drain holes, so I will have to be careful how much water I add, per pot. I put a coffee filter in the bottom of each of the pots..just for fun and to absorb any little extra water.
I used the moisture control soil...in large green bags.
the roots on the babies had grown to about an inch or more on some of them..and I did change out the water, from time to time..never let it get swampy or anything.

Becky

okay i got four pretty vases at dollar tree...oh how i love that store :). First time water rooter here hehe, i am trying a start off my wandering jew, syngonium, 3 differnet ivy's in one vase, and a pothos. I'm pretty excited about this. We shall see soon :).

The wandering jew is easily started in soil, I always have them drop from the parent plant and the ones that fall in the soil, root with no help from me (when it is hanging outside)

so you can start the wandering jew just like you would a jade plant? Someone here had recommended letting the jade callous over before putting it in soil...is it the same for the wandering jew?

No, pls. read up a bit on Houseplants; but Jades are succulents & require that callousing over. WJ are tropicals & will not do well drying out. Either start them in water or pot them directly into moist soil, drying them out will kill them. Or you could try starting the WJ both ways & see which does better for ya.

I'm not sure the read up on houseplants comment was especially helpful or necessary, but i do thank you for your answer pirate girl. I have been researching alot on houseplants and i'm just not quite the expert yet.

Could someone direct me to the original post on 'live' water, please. I would like to read it. I wonder if it refering to 'activated water' which shows the potential to have some horticultural value for bacterial problems?

I forget the post that i originally read it on. It was just part of a discussion on another plant problem thats why i was brought it up on its own. I googled it too and didnt see anything that fits the bill. Of course to check every result in google could take days so i didnt spend too long.

I would also like more information on what 'live water' actually means.

I have read many anecdotal claims that presoaking seeds in water plus something increased germination rates and speed.

I know from my own experiences that presoaking seeds in just water increases germination rates and speed so I wonder what those who advocate water plus something else are going on about.

Here we are not discussing seed starting, but plant propagation via cuttings in water plus something else.

If there is evidence to suggest there is something to be added to water to increase the percentage of successful rootings or the speed of the rooting I am interested in looking at the evidence.

Of course I do realize that rooting powder (growth hormones) fits the bill, but it appears that 'live water' also does and so I would like to know what, exactly, that is.

To be clear this is not a challenge to the OP to provide more evidence, it is simply a request for anyone who knows more about this topic to provide what they know so we can all evaluate it and potentially benefit from it.

Here are a few sites i found and one that a fellow forum member suggested, hope this helps.

http://jksalescompany.com/ken/prop.html

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_plants_propagation/article/0,1785,HGTV_3611_1399130,00.html

http://www.waterroots.com/aboutwaterroots.htm

ymaddox,

Unless I am missing something those 3 links discuss various rooting techniques including water rooting, but none of them address 'live water'.

What is live water rooting then, and how is it different from just stem cuttings you place in water?

and how is it different from hydroculture?

That's *my* question, ymaddox, no fair stealing it ;-)

well after you said i was completely off base, i was thinking the only two ways i knew to propagate with water was root cuttings and hydroculture...i guess hydroculture is basically the same as root cuttings you just leave it in the water forever. So i was super confused, as i am not very smart about houseplants anyway...learned a ton in the last few weeks. So i thought maybe you knew the general principal behind it and was just looking for more in depth information. I tried doing a search as well, and i dont see anything.

Dear YMaddox,

Pls. allow me to apologize, I meant no offense. I was trying to distinguish btwn two very different classes of plants, (1) succulents which require callousing over before plants & (2) tropical-type houseplants which do not. I suggested the reading in an attempt to offer help, not cause offense.

I'm not addressing the 'live' water as I have no idea what that means. I grow some things in only water, some just cuttings, but a few things permanently.

While I know next to nothing abt hydroculture, I have lifted one aspect of it which is to use Leca stones or Turface, porous, fired clay balls which I set in the bottom of water growing things, like an Aglaonema & a Hoya which I chose to grow in water only, so as to give some surface for the roots to grow around/onto.

JustaGuy,

What pls. is OP?

pirate girl thank you for your kind thoughts. I am probably gonna ask alot of dumb questions and do alot of dumb things before i get the hang of all this, I do appreciate your patience with me. For instance, i done a leaf vein cutting on a purple passion plant and find out that was not such a good idea...hey it has veins!!! lol
I'm still gonna let it go and see what it does, whats the harm and i'm just that pig headed lol. But i do thank you for the help :).

I have solved the mystery of 'living' water' It is a term given by one of the many questionable firms which sell various types of water filtering devices touted to change the molecular structure of water and claiming the use of it will heal. Easiest way for you to understand all of it is to Google "catalyst activated water". I leave you to your reading and drawing your own conclusions on the subject. Have fun!

Pirate girl,
I think that OP may refer to the Original Poster. That would be me. Not sure if thats what it really means but it would seem to fit.
In any case i think the post i originally heard it from was talking about the presence of microbes in the water. Sorry i should have made it more clear. Details ya know ;).
I wish i could remember the thread i saw that in. I would do an indepth search but i have an exam tomorrow(and here i sit obsessing)

"...i guess hydroculture is basically the same as root cuttings you just leave it in the water forever.."

ymaddox, just to clear some confusion. In hydroculture, the roots of the plants NEVER sit in water...EVER... Growing plants IN water is not the same as growing plants IN hydroculture. Although both do use water, the two styles are very different. In hydroculture, the roots are always above the water and anchored in place by the hydroton clay pellets...similar to soil anchoring roots in place. But roots in water? And in water forever? Never...not for a moment... Or else you are not practicing the true hydroculture method at all, just growing plants with their roots in water.

I think that OP may refer to the Original Poster. That would be me. Not sure if thats what it really means but it would seem to fit.

Yes, that is what I meant when I used 'OP'. In hydroculture, the roots of the plants NEVER sit in water...EVER...

I think you are perhaps being too absolute about this. While the general idea to to have the plant roots above water level, it is fairly common that the roots grow down into the water and remain that way for a long time with no ill effects. As I type this I have a plant with roots going down to the bottom of the vase and in water. Given the aggressiveness of the roots I don't think I could have a container in my house that was tall enough to avoid this plant from sending roots into the water. I have solved the mystery of 'living' water' It is a term given by one of the many questionable firms...

While I can't be sure this is what the OP was referring to, it sounds about right. The very term 'living water' sounds like a marketing gimmick to draw in a certain crowd of faith based gardeners ;-)

I remain open to further information though.

You are right justaguy2. Sometimes a plant will choose to dip a toe into the water. The difference is that it's at the plant's discretion (usually seeking extra water) while growing plants directly in water is at the owner's. The other difference is that the tip of the root may dip itself into the moisture while the majority of the root remains free of it. Hydroculture is not the same, by far, as growing plants directly in water with their roots submerged in it 24/7.

I saw a posting in the cuttings thread, mabe this is where you saw it.

Posted by greenelbows1 z9--so LA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 14, 07 at 23:40

There was a recent discussion on the gesneriphiles e-list about water-rooting, and a number of the people there said they had really changed their minds about it. Used to be we were advised to change the water regularly if we did this. This group says they have learned to use 'live' water, like that from an aquarium, rather than the more sterile water from the faucet, bottled water, RO water, etc. Not really gunky, but something biologically active. There have been mentions of this for some time now, and I have begun to experiment a little--always thought water-rooting was a bad idea. It's important in my somewhat limited experience to pot them up before the roots get very long at all, but a couple people there said they just take sharp scissors and cut the roots back if they get too long! It's fun to experiment--and it's great you're getting your daughter interested too.

I hope this helps!

Thanks. i wonder if anyone has done any studies on this. It'd be interesting to know whether we should be innoculating our rooting water with beneficial bacteria to keep the fungus and rot from happening.

I'm not impressed with the idea of rooting in water, but if that is what you want, there is a very effective way to do it. Read the disclaimer I've posted before, then read the method, please:

Rooting in Water - Though roots form readily and often seemingly more quickly on many plants propagated in water, the roots produced are quite different from those produced in a soil-like or highly aerated medium (perlite - vermiculite - seed starting mix, e.g.). Physiologically, you will find these roots to be much more brittle than normal roots due to a much higher percentage of aerenchyma (a tissue with a greater percentage of intercellular air spaces than normal parenchyma). If you wish to eventually plant your rooted cuttings in soil, it is probably best not to root them in water because of the frequent difficulty in transplanting them to soil. The "water-formed" roots often break during transplant & those that don't break are very poor at water absorption and often die. The effect is equivalent to beginning the cutting process over again with a cutting in which vitality has likely been reduced.

If you do a side by side comparison of cuttings rooted in water & cuttings rooted in soil, the cuttings in soil will always (for an extremely high percentage of plants) have a leg up in development on those moved from water to a soil medium for the reasons outlined above.

You'll need a tub, an aquarium aeration pump with the vinyl tubing and an air stone. You'll also need either some small pieces of Styrofoam or a piece of plastic grid from ceiling light fixtures. The grid is white plastic with 1/2 x 1/2 square holes & is about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the plastic to fit the tub. Suspend it a few inches above the bottom. Fill with water to the bottom of the grid & add air stone to water. Add 20-20-20 fertilizer at about 1/8 - 1/4 the recommended dosage. Insert cuttings through the holes. Loose tenting may be helpful, but is generally not necessary.

The highly oxygenated water inhibits the growth of the anaerobic bacteria that clog the plumbing (the plants ability to transport water to the leaves) and induce rot. Since O2 is so important to initiation of root promordia and root growth, formation and growth occur at an accelerated rate.

I don't have time to look up a picture now (on way to work) but someone else may chime in if a picture is even needed. It's a very simple set-up.

Al

Hi Rip, can I call you RTF for short?

I'm not sure if your last question was in hydroculture or plain water-rooting. In plain water-rooting I've have found that adding a few bits of aquarium-grade charcoal (available at pet stores) prevents fungi, algae, rot, etc.

I've learned over time NOT to change the water in water-rooting cuttings (have heard/read that they release some rooting hormone-type stuff into the water, which is beneficial to other cuttings I add later). So I always use charcoal bits (a few go a long way), & add more water from time to time. Works pretty well for me. I never get algae, fungi, etc., rarely get rot.

Yeah Pirate Girl you can call me RTF.
The question was in regards to plain water rooting.
I wonder about the charcoal now. In aquaria the reason for the charcoal is to remove chemicals from the water. Wouldnt the charcoal just adsorb those natural rooting hormones produced by the plant that you mentioned?

This needn't be so complex. I am sure that many of you have successfully rooted cuttings in water and then transferred them to soil after roots have developed. Others have more success rooting cuttings directly in a good potting mix. I do both. Experiment with both and do what seems to work best for you.

Will Creed
Indoor Landscaper

I agree w/ Will, but

to answer RTF, I don't know if the charcoal absorbs the rooting hormones, but I DO know it keeps the water from getting all yucky.

Yeah i suppose it is getting a bit convoulted but everyone i know says that i ask too many questions.....maybe i should just go into research.

I didn't know this had a name, I root a lot of philos and other large rooted plants in aquarium water. I just stick the cutting behind the light with the leaves sticking out. I also use aquarium water to water my plants whenever I change the water. My plants love it. i'm sure it's the amonia, so theoretically you could add a bit of household amonia to your water.

Hi guys I just came across this blog and thought I could give you guys some info on "live water". I've been rooting plants since I was just a kid with my grandma. I also have a saltwater fish tank and in this hobby when we refer to "Live objects" such as sand, rock, and water we mean that it is full of all the microorganisms that occur in nature. When I would root with my grandma she would have me collect the water from the ditch or ponds near her house because the plants always rooted faster with that water than plants being rooted in tap water. I assume that this is what is meant by "live water". I could be wrong but I am 99 percent sure this is what they mean and my grandma swears by using natures water rather then clorinated tap water which can take up to 24 hrs to de-clorinate in the sunlight and even longer to grow any necessary bacteria that is beneficial to root growth.

I agree with JUSTKEV above. what a good idea about the pond water! i should try that!

after reading some of the skeptical replies about water rooting (specifically to the "expert" saying it will never root if left in water 24/7), i must add that i know first-hand that water rooting works.
My mom has been doing it since i was a kid. for example, She's such a neurotic "saver" that she'll cut branches off of her random garden plants, and then put them in glass vases filled with water and set them all around the house because she thought they were too pretty to throw away. Predictably, she'd forget about them and leave them in the vase (untouched) for many months (yes, the water was quite murky by then). By then, they'd all have a jungle of roots, which she'd then just plant back into her garden! in fact, we have a plant that is about 7 ft tall now which started out as a cutting which was rooted in water :D it is just as beautiful as the original plant.

i'm currently rooting a multitude of ginkgo branches now =] it is such a pretty tree that i want more!