Rotting Leaf cuttings - water or soil?
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7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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Water lily leaf rot
Comments (4)It is normal for older pads to deteriorate and new ones to come up. However, if you see pads going bad faster than they are being replaced by the plant then something probably is wrong. I doubt its from repotting every year. Although this can set a lily back somewhat if you divide it up quite a bit, it wouldn't cause the pads to deteriorate quickly now. I repot almost every year or sometimes every other year. It could be overfertilizing or lack of fertilizer. I also suspect it could be glass worms. These buggers can really do a number on lily pads. Go outside after dark with a flashlight and turn the lily pads over and inspect the underside. If you see these really super tiny clear worms squiggling around like crazy then that's your culprit....See MoreWhy do many of my cutting rot or die even though soil is barely moist?
Comments (10)TLBean, the only kind of begonias I've rooted are angel wings, so I can't speak to the particular begonias you're attempting to root. But I've rooted cuttings of many different kinds of plants, and in general, the cutting needs a way to uptake water. Some plants can uptake water through a cut stem, but many cannot do it efficiently enough or long enough to root. So they need to be able to absorb moisture through their leaves; hence the need for a humid environment. When I root plants that don't root easily in water, I put them in an aquarium. I like clear plastic drinking cups with holes poked in the bottom because I can see when rooting happens without disturbing the cutting. The soil needs to be damp but not dripping wet. I have a lid with a light over the top and gravel in the bottom of the aquarium. I put water in the bottom of the aquarium no deeper than the gravel. I also use a reptile cage heating pad (they get warm but not too hot - around 75-80 deg. which is perfect for cuttings) and place it under the aquarium for bottom heat. Obviously, the cups with the cuttings sit on top of the gravel. Since the water is just below the gravel level, the cuttings aren't sitting in water, but the water evaporates and provides the moist environment they need. I have the aquarium light on a timer for 14 hours a day and the heating pad is on all the time. I've had great success with this set-up. It provides constant moisture and heat, which cuttings generally need for rooting, as well as light. The more light your cutting gets, the more energy it will have and the better it will root. The aquarium is a controlled environment, whereas if you enclosed your cuttings in plastic and placed them out in the sun on a warm day, they'd probably cook. BTW, I always clean the aquarium with soap and bleach, as well as soaking the gravel in soap and bleach (rinse it of course before using) before setting up the cuttings. Cuttings are very susceptible to pathogens so everything needs to be very sanitary. And cuttings can take a month or two to root, so just when you think nothing is happening - voila! You start seeing some roots! Good luck! Deanna...See MoreWhen to water cuttings after putting them in soil?
Comments (4)Hold on a minute pls., you hadn't specified Succulent cuttings. Those you don't water in, but must wait 4 days or so, to allow cutting to callous or heal. Houseplant cuttings like tropicals should be watered in immediately, but if that's done to succulent they will rot.. Important distinction, particularly going into cooler weather....See MoreHow to transfer Snake Plant cuttings from water to soil???
Comments (3)Yes. Transfer them now. No point in waiting, it'll just get harder to do without breaking the roots. And, for the future, they root fine put straight into mix and are much less likely to rot....See More
User
7 years ago
Rosie1949
7 years agoBack in the 60's & 70's I always just used soil. Never lost a leaf. Got away from violets after the 80's and just started back up a few years ago. My old methods that I knew didn't work for me and I don't know why. I lost almost every leaf I put down. My magic was gone.
I tried rooting in water but have never had good luck with that either.
After much disappointment and reading the postings (old and new) in this forum,,,,,I finally settled on using a Kcup with a very light soil mix (1/2 perlite & 1/2 soil) water barely damp and put in a baggie. I have better results that way.
But there are a lot of ways to do it and you will find your favorite also. I still don't know why my old methods didn't work! But I have babies now, so all is well. Good luck to everyone rooting leaves! This is Trinidad ll. Rosie
Leon Ash
7 years agoirina_co
7 years agoRosie1949
7 years ago
goldstar135
7 years agoRooting update-
Nothing as of now, except for hints of something on the bottom, in the cut?
Rosie1949
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoUser
7 years agoRosie1949
7 years agoLeon Ash
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
Harawlins
7 years agoRosie1949
7 years agoRosie1949
7 years ago
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