Growing Cuttings in Water

botanicalgirl

Hi there,

Does anyone grow cuttings in water and if so what plants work well with this method for you? I grow mint this way as it seems to root well, can anyone recommend any other garden plants I could try. Thanks, I'm trying to increase my plants on a buget.

It's my first ever post here so be gentle with me!

peter_the_piper

Some plants make very fragile roots when propagated this way so either be very gentle when potting or gradually add compost to the water over a period of time until all the water is replaced. There are lots of books on propagating so get some from the local library and have a good read this winter and you'll be up and running next year.
PS tell us which plants you want to increase and someone on here will help you for sure.

jaxx46

So far this year I've done busy lizzies, geraniums and hardy fuschias. The fuschias took the longest but they weren't proper cuttings just some bits knocked off by accident in my battle with the valerian. HTH

RebekahR

I don't seem to do well with this! I've tried and failed on every occassion with my hybrid tea rose. Gonna try that shove it in the ground and hope for the best method this year.

Currently I have in 3 cast off cuttings from my hebe heartbreaker, a big stalk from another plant I dont know the name of!That has rooted well so better pot it up soon. 2 bit of mint that has rooted nicely. 1 I potted yesterday and 1 still to root more.

I might do my Geraniums - How do you do those? And how do you keep them indoors over winter? I tried keeping last years in my little plastic greenhouse but as I expected they died. Can't put in the garage as its too dark so will have to be indoors if that would work. I think I did put in some Fuschia so I better go see how thats doing!

jaxx46

With all of them, I took branches off and placed them in water which I topped up with fresh daily, the geraniums I actually took from a pub garden last year ( with permission ) once they had finished flowering. Once they had rooted I put them in 3" pots and kept them in a cool room on a windowsill that got the early morning sun/light and that's where they stayed all winter. In the spring they had a growth spurt and I moved them into bigger pots before hardening off and finally planting out for the summer. I will be doing the same again this year although interestingly I did notice that two of the four that were in the pub garden did come back this year despite the harsh winter. HTH

elsien

My geraniums didn't root this way although the fuschias did. Also the hardy osteospermum grew roots practically overnight.

redsam

this may be helpful...if you have access to willow at all, cut a piece and put in water, then use that water to root cuttings as thier are hormones which help plant cuttings to root.

cjb02

Welcome to posting on the forum Botanicalgirl. I also root mint in water. Although I try and always have a glass with mint in the kitchen as it smell nice and then they always root. So then they get put in a pot and given away.

botanicalgirl

Thanks for all the replies and welcome. I will try your tip about putting in some willow as I have goat willow in the garden.
I too like rooting mint to give to all my friends but would still like to know if anyone has any success with any other plants as an easy way of propogating.
I did root my lovely box bushes from cuttings in water and they are lovely big bushes now.
Thanks, botanicalgirl.

salthepal

Basil works very well. It takes about 2 weeks but I keep a constant supply going using this method.

greenval

I've just done the same with a couple of cuttings from my penstemons. I think it works best with things like that thataren't too woody.