I root in water and I found they do better when I don't change the water, even if there's algae in it, it still grows well. I only top it up with fresh water once in a while. I noticed when I change the water completely, it slows down so I left it in the dirty water and it's pushing out leaves again.
Thats becos plants release their own rooting hormones into the water as well. You literally keep the rooting hormones in the water with each top up; and totally flush out when water change. It is actually faster if you root multiple cuttings in 1 container, as compared to 1 cutting in 1 container. The concentration of released hormones will be higher, given that the containers are of the same size.
I use Sphagnum moss. I surround the cutting in the moss which is very wet. I only water once or twice until they are rooted. Once rooted I put the whole thing in a pot and surround with soil.
Since this video is 2 years old I think you know that by now. I'm a newbie, so I really don't know anything but I heard the more nodes are in the water when propragating, the better root development and it needs to have at least 2 leaves left and all the other ones on the stem taken away. I would love to show you how much it grew in 1 month only. 3 healthy thick main roots and each of them having multiple secondary roots.. the first 2 weeks nothing happened but then from nowhere it began AND the more aerial roots noobings, the more roots growing.
I generally root in either water or perlite...perlite is quickly becoming my favorite. Honestly, I'm shocked that was the root development after 12 weeks 🤯 I would have pegged that at 3 weeks or so!
@@SheffieldMadePlants What season and phase of the moon were the Epipremnum cuttings put in the rooting medium? After winter solstice and with a waxing moon, most plants will tend to root quicker, in my experience. With best results (for me) in late summer to early autumn.
Sheffield, I can't thank you enough for sharing your green thumb with the rest of us. My first memory of growing a plant was at age 5 in my pre-k class... Everyone's seed sprouted except for a few unlucky folks, yours truly included. It was the most depressing moment of my tiny life. Now at age 31, I am starting to see root growth in my perlite and sphagnum moss covered pothos cuttings... I wish you could see how excited I get when the roots are showing. It feels good to be a witch!! 🪴
Being a self-proclaimed basil propagating expert, I can say that some plants do better at growing roots in water than others. That is basil (and I'm assuming all water-loving plants) grows roots super quick in water. I can get them to grow tons of roots in just a week or two. Whereas other pla ts that I've propagated take much longer to grow even just one main root. Conclusion; the varying methods all work. You just have to find the best one for the type of plant you have. 🙂
I think I'm in agreement with you. I tried to propagate Jasmine originale (?) in both water, soil, and moss. None grew anything. The ones in moss just rotted. In water, zero. I hadn't yet been turned on to prop boxes at that point in time, though. Maybe I'll try that, but I have a feeling that Jasmine is just very hard-headed and stubborn. 😅
I actually think the ones in dirt, since they’ve been able to draw some extra nutrients from the soil and therefore focus more on root development, don’t feel the need to put out leaves so quickly to supplement the lack there of in the other mediums. As soon as the roots are settled, they’d be much stronger and far more resilient than both of the other methods I’m sure.
Even though the cuttings wouldnt be able to access it until after they start to push out hair roots, maybe a small amout very slow release fertilizer in the perlite.
@@danielb3573 I would be wary of adding fertiliser to water, perlite or moss. To my mind it might assist in molds and/or bacteria growth which could be present in the air. Sealing cut ends with cinamon or wax should also be beneficial.
I use a 24 site Cloner which is a real game changer. It’s fantastic for vining houseplants where you want to fill up a pot to create a nice full showcase quickly. I’ve had pothos start rooting in 3 days! If you are really into propagating plants, I highly recommend picking one of these. I currently run 3 of them but I do cuttings of herbs and outdoor flowering plants as well for my garden and to pretty up my shop 😊
I’ve always had good luck using the water method in a clear plastic cup changing the water once a week. Once the roots are about 2” I use Sheffield’s transfer method to soil: once in soil keep soil VERY wet for about 3 weeks then cut down on the watering. P.S. love your videos!
Me again, yes I was right, I live in Jacksonville FL, and 25 years ago an old friend and avid gardener would laugh and answer most of my questions with "just stick em' in the dirt" never used rooting powder, this is such an easy one to get going with or without the powder - ok so now we have another experiment "WITH OR WITHOUT HORMONE STIMULANT" I very much enjoy your videos :) Looking forward to the next one
Nods, I own rooting powder--much neglected from disuse and my cuttings just won't stop succeeding.....how many friends does an introvert have? Laughs, I've had to resort to leaving new plants out on the 'free table' in my apartment building's foyer....
@@rocktheboat1: I propagate plants to give to a local (very small) nursery. The nursery provides funding for their program which is basically a daycare for mentally challenged people. I really believe in their mission so I bring plants to them all the time. My Husband says I can't go a day without propagating something.
I read it's best to put a bit of rooting hormone which you will use in a container before dipping your cuttings in it in order to prevent contamination, if any cutting is sick or infected. After that you discard the remaining rooting hormones which are in the container.
Very interesting! I’ve never propagated anything successfully in soil. I’m surprised by how slowly these cuttings were growing. I’d usually propagate in water; lately I’ve been also propagating in spagnum moss, and you have inspired me to propagate in perlite. I just started a propagation box with perlite. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Definitely easier than using moss. Thank you for the post.
I have a bunch of props in water. I just started a prop box a couple days ago. I only have water props because it was the only way I knew to do it until I started watching you!
I root pothos mostly in water and soil. Although lately, out of laziness, I root them in soil. They have done extremely well. So I think I am going to stick with rooting them directly in soil going forward.
It is important to ensure that the rooting substrata is well draining with good water retention and kept moist. Lots of oxygen assists in healthy root growth, whether in moss, perlite, soil based or water. Adding some hydrogen peroxide when using propagation in water, IMHO, assists in healthy root growth. However different plants have different requirements and the propagation method will differ depending on it's natural environment.
The cutting only has a certain amount of energy. You want it to get roots firdt before it pushes top growth. To me, this looks like soil has won by a large margin. You don't even need to disturb the roots since its already in the soil. Thanks for this test.
Many of these were cut really small too, limiting what little reserves they have (especially the ones that did the worst). I think with a lot of plants with visible root nodes like pothos, before going direct to soil they can benefit from a good solid soaking for a period of time (e.g. 1-3 days). Grass seed can really benefit from that same water-induced 'jump start' too.
I wrap very wet spangham moss around my cuttings. After a couple of weeks I put the moss in a pot and surround it with soil. I spray the moss when the top starts to dry out. After a couple of months there is new growth.
I use regular houseplant soil and leave the cuttings wrapped in moss in the middle. It stays like that until it gets root bound which takes several months. The cuttings grow very well. I use regular house plant fertilizer when I see new growth.
@@merleenking6869 yes, I purchased a bunch of baby starter plants like philodendron snow mist and ring of fire. Wow what patience it needs(slow growing) and most wrapped in ‘plug’.
@@mellen5598: I have had more plants die that were in those plugs than not in plugs. I try to feel if they have those plugs (I call them "socks") and I get the plants out of those socks. I think the socks suffocate the roots.
I'd say you could have put all cuttings into the propagation box (or left all of them outside). For now, a temperature & humidity factor is to be considered. And the medium has different depths. My guesses... Perlite: shorter roots
spagnum moss is very good. The conditions you provieded were not the same. The ones in perlite were in there own humid clear box that would also trap more heat. The others had no covering around them to provide more humidity or heat
From what I’ve seen here I’m going to do is propagate in soil but put a hole in the middle of the soil and put the plant and perlite allowing the roots and first leaves to have an easer time. Then it can spend more time in the pot and grow with out having to mess with it till it’s ready for a new pot. It seem this may speed up the process.
Hello, I use another method for some time now, which has helped me create new roots, which is synthetic wool (used in aquarium filters), the positive thing is that I don't need to constantly control the humidity, because it preserves humidity for a long time, it helps (in some cases) to keep the stem out of water but still moist enough.
The cutting which were put in the glass would have rooted better if the light had been excluded. Twelve weeks is a long time. The cuttings in the perlite would have developed roots quicker than the ones in the soil because of the temperature and humidity in the perlite box. However, after they had developed roots you starved them by leaving them in the sterile perlite when they needed nutrients to grow. In order to root cuttings this way, you need the temperature to be in the mid 20’s centigrade and the humidity to be up about 70 to 80 percent like you have in perlite box. So the conditions were not the same for all the cuttings.
I root mostly in water and have had no problems (I don't use tap water but rather filtered or bottled water), but if you use rooting powder, don't try to root in water. Rooting powder becomes a gel-like substance that kinda repels water! Also, as mentioned in other comments, not equal growing conditions in regards to temperature and humidity...
I would think that the plant didn't root in the water because the glass was clear. I've heard that it takes plants much longer to propagate if the roots are exposed to sunlight when in water. Also maybe there was chlorine in the water and not enough nitrates? I am interested to try out perlite next time i decide to do propagations especially in that box where you can regulate the humidity better.
Interesting! This is timely, although I know it’s a year old, because I have a pothos N’Joy that I bought as 2 or 3 rooted cuttings and all but one died. The survivor is getting long so I was thinking yesterday about propagating it to get a fuller plant!
Question! You're not worried about spraying leaves for the cuttings, but caution against spraying leaves for other plants. Will the enclosed space protect against mold?
Going to chop up an Epipremnum today and I guess I’ll be sticking the cuttings in perlite then. Or I might do my own experiment and try some in perlite and some on leca. 🤔
Everytime I propagate I get mold. Everyone shuts their containers but idk why when I do that it gets mold over night. I don’t understand. It was under a grow light
@@SheffieldMadePlants okay so I started leaving it open just a bit and it has definitely helped I make sure to keep it open a crack! Thank you so much! I think I’m gonna keep trying!
The apical meristem of plants rooted in water will be weaker, and if transplanted to soil or soilless medium they will struggle from the damage which ensues from pushing out new growth against a substrate much denser than what they've (literally) grown used to. Plants rooted in water will be best suited for remaining in water, whereas plants rooted in soil or other dense medium will adjust better to being transplanted to soil/less medium. The cuttings which had more root growth and less leaves are actually healthier-they're displaying an awareness of enough environmental security and photosynthesizing efficiency to go ahead and take the time to generate a stronger root structure before spending more energy generating foliar growth and wasting carbohydrates from the roots. We want them to concentrate on roots first, not vegetative growth. Plants with tiny root structures already pushing out leaves are either grasping for better opportunity for photosynthesis due to too little light/nutrients, or possibly a nutrient/hormone imbalance. Gibberellins can cause a preference to foliar growth like auxin, for example, in many plants. (That's a nursery trick for generating short, bushy growth that completely halts when you bring the plant home).
@@SheffieldMadePlants I didn't say you "can't get away with it." I said plants will do best in a medium most similar to the one they were cloned and grew roots in. It's just botanical science, no need to take it personally.
Great explanation. I had to look up “Gibberllins” and “auxin” since I had never heard those terms - basically “hormones” but your post is very informative. 😻
Straight soil, even with rooting powder rarely works for me. But love water or perlite under soil layer props for strongest roots. NEVER taken 12 weeks for growth though! Usually have at least 1-3 inch roots within 3 weeks for pothos. 6-8 max for non pothos salvageables.
Nods, I get fast roots as well. If I'm thickening up a pothos I wind a long vine back and root it in the same pot as it is planted in and it roots up fast. Otherwise I root them in a bunch in water with longer stems with several leaves and they do fine--all without rooting compound. I really think rooting compound is a mythological scam....
Perlite seems to be further along. Then the soil w/perlite, and then water only. Well, now that's a surprise in a way. I'd like to do some. Yup. Thank you!
Hi. I propagated my fiddle leaf fig into coco peat and vermiculite today. How frequently should I water it? Peat has previously got moldy in my cool house. Should i do some fungicide as prevention?
Hard to say how often you should water. Depends on your house. You need to judge when the soil is starting to dry out and top it up with water. Spraying every couple of days works well
I usually propagate pothos in water but after I transfer them from water to soil max of them die. Eventhough they have long roots. Seeing your video i think i should try to propagate in soil+perlite and see
I'm still new to this, so don't take anything I say to heart. Always do your own research. After I transfer my water rooted plants in to soil I keep the soil very wet for the first bit while they start to adapt to being in soil instead. I do maybe twice the amount of watering I would do than if it was already used to soil. Then I just cut back once the plant starts doing well again. This is just what has worked for me though.
I'm still learning how to prop! I've done water & soil for many things the past 2 years & my success rate is poor. So now I'm going to try your prop box! Can I take my water cuttings & put them in the box now? Thanks for the idea & your proof it works! I'm optimistic, thanks to you, where I've been disappointed for the rest of the past 2 years! May I ask a question? If you don't have time to answer, I understand! My cuttings, the ones that do ANYthing that is, do quite well for a while once rooted, then about a month later (+/-) many of them suddenly wilt & die. Rot, I get, but these don't seem to be rotted at all, just shriveled & dead. Doesn't matter if they're green leafy plants or succulents, well maybe the leafy ones do a bit better since I do have some of them alive, but very few succulents! I use my water meter. Confession, poor lighting & I've lost some in 2" pots b/c they got dry quicker than I expected, & some rotted at the stem even though the mix was dry (philos starters, 2" & pods). Something similar happens to more mature pre-potted plants. IDK if I let them get too dry between waterings, or what! Then again, being their helicopter Mom, I don't want to drown them! I've loved a lot of plants to death in the past! Thank you for what you do! I'm so glad I found your videos! You're my new BFF!!
Nice experiment. Water will root well, but is poor to produce shoots compared to soil, Something to do with hormone distribution being affected by water or light, I guess. I've had success with sea sand, avg. 0.5 mm and cuttings I dealt with were 5mm dia. or more. It is closest to the perlite situation. Sand has little organic matter, lower humidity compared to soil. Needed an experiment of individual cutting vs a clump of cuttings. Temperature plays an important role with near about 28°C being optimum, I believe. Light flux is also a factor, but I can't pinpoint levels other than saying bright indirect light.
My water rootings do much better than these and I use bigger cuttings with about 3 leaves because I also LOVE the decorative look of them rooting in a mason jar! I also put a couple of them in one jar so maybe like others have said they share their own root hormones.
I have cuttings of Pothos Marble Queen that started popping out roots in water in 6 days. But maybe Marble Queen roots faster than your version. 12 weeks seems like an awful long time to root though.
After my personal experiences growing plants i always had a theory with plants in soil i call it "bitting in" its basically when your plants roots are getting used to their new home a certain handshake if you will has to take place between plant and soil. If you get it right the plant will appear to not really be doing to much then outta know where in a week it grows like crazy. The plants you did in soil were charging themselves for the nxt step it looks like. Given enough time the plants in soil would have won in health department by far.
Agreed, that's my experience. What you want when propagating a plant is strong root growth at first. If you get that then the plant will eventually start making new leaves and they'll be stronger and faster growing once they start. As for the water cuttings I'd question my water--try using bottled water instead of tap and see it that improves next time.
Damn, I hoped soil would win lol. I'm just trying a perlite propagation box for the first time and got mold on the cuttings second day already so looking for alternative solutions that could save my wee monstera babies
perlite is best starter cause water and air ratio can be so amazing and the fast using clear container even better for light. dirt has so pro but more con then perlite when starting a cutting. Perlite I find honestly the best cause keeps air next starting root, little water retention (with misting helps), and then all u need is light. soil i found hold water, but if it to much doesn't all enough air even it 50/50 dirt and perlite that down side water done water enough it can also hinder root growth. it all about trying balance air, water and light.
I use water to do mine, and I never change my water, but I usually have good roots in two to three weeks. Not sure why yours didn't have roots in 12 weeks.
I saw someone say that plants propagate much better in tinted glass (like a bottle of Stella for example) rather than clear glass. Do you know this to be true? If so, do you know if spray painting clear glass have the same effect? Pretty much only trust your advice at the moment 😆
Hello from Austria, Europe ! After having watched a couple of your fascinating and extremely helpful videos I set up yesterday a propagation box with perlite for my succulents and devil's heart. Now I 'm not sure: 1. How much water should stay in the box 2. Do I have to change the water or clean the perlite every now and then ?
Hey there! Keep the perlite moist but not wet. Water shouldn't pool at the bottom on the container. I mist every few days. I don't clean the perlite but this does result in some greening. I'm not bothered about that though.
I have learned so much from your videos. I have a question. I tried propagating in perlite and my roots rooted including some of my leaves. What am I doing wrong.
Pothos isn't a plant which grows in soil in its native habitat, which is where I live. It is a tropical vine, an epiphyte. It creeps along the jungle floor and up tree trunks and over rocks. Those are AERIAL ROOTS. They're not conventional soil roots. Aerial roots, like those on orchids and monstera, need to be exposed to the air for the plant to grow normally. They grow in high-humidity environs among dead leaves and branches, so they don't need water, nutrients and oxygen from soil, they absorb it all from the air and from run-off water. Plants with aerial roots do not need soil. (1) Water: Shuts off the air needed for new growth, essentially suffocating it. One commenter said something interesting: they did not change the water and left it even if algae grew in it, and their cuttings sprouted roots and leaves. Brackish water provides nutrients. If the water is changed regularly, the cutting does not get the nutrients it needs for new growth. (2) Soil: There is a similar effect, though not as severe. Soil has air pockets in between the soil grains. Since soil is fine-grained, it may not provide enough air/oxygen to the roots and there may be a mild suffocating effect taking place. (3) Perlite: It not only has sufficient air pockets between the grains but is also a fast-draining medium. Among the 3 methods, the cutting gets the most amount of air and its roots are not water-bound, if perlite is used. The best way to propagate pothos is to just leave the cuttings on top of damp soil or perlite or even paper or cloth. Keep the medium damp until new roots and leaves sprout. Do not repot in soil. Use a few pebbles, wood chips, twigs or charcoal in about an inch of water, place cuttings on top of the medium and put it somewhere airy. They'll start growing well in no time. I have 2 pothos in hanging containers (started with 1 container) which are growing vigorously. The plants constantly grow outside their containers; that is their nature. If a stem gets too long, like the one at the beginning of this video, I either coil it back into the container or I cut it off and stick the base end into the water at the bottom of the container, or into a new container with the same setup.
Question for you about propagating plants in water. I’ve been told that if roots appear on one cutting and not the others, you should leave the rooted one in the water because it produces hormones that encourages the other ones to root. You do change the water though. What’s your opinion on this theory? I have tried it and think it might have some merit.
i thought the soil method would work best until i saw that the perlite was in a closed environment then i wasnt sure.. i think you had too much water in the glasses and most people say not to change the water and i think that method produces roots that are accustomed to growing in water, when you pot it up they will have to grow new roots for growing in soil. i think if you would have popped the pots with soil into the case with the perlite cuttings they would have been even further along. i always propagate right into soil and usually put them into a plastic bag, with 2 inches of soil, that i close for the first few days then open for ventilation after that.. quick and perfect cuttings every time
Is it possible to create a video 🫠, how to propagate alocasia from Bulb or Corm, Philodendron pink and also Calatheas? I am struggling to have more babies but I don'T wanna destroy the mother plant since they are doing good 😌
I am shocked about the water cuttings, maybe it is the N’joy. When I put other types of pothos in water, within and week or two you start to see roots. Within 6 week they are ready to pot. Now I normally have a bit longer cutting - 1 or two leaves and a node without any leaves, which is where the roots come from.
Another really good video, but the best medium for cuttings does very much depend on the species, in my experience, sphagnum moss is the best all-rounder although not a panacea😉
All 3 methods are slow for some reason. I use water but i don't change the water, i top it up when needed and within 3 weeks they have a good grown especially in the warmer months
I have noticed- not all Pothos are the same - my Pearl & jade is much easier to care for than njoy. My lemon lime Pothos for me is a slower grower than my green or marble queen .
I've put Pothos cuttings in water. It's the first time I've ever tried to cut them. Very little happened within 2 month, only one small root from each. So I put some on the edge of my aquarium, with just the leaves sticking out. No new root sprouts, but the single one they have are growing about 1½ cm each day. There are no sign of new leaves, so I'm wondering if it is impossible for the plant to make leaves when it is in water. Actually I'm surprised that the plants in perlite boxes doesn't root because of the high humidity.
I think cuttings being slow to root is all down to light. The more light you give em the quicker they will develop roots. When i put them under grow lights they get roots real quick
Best way to propagate Pothos plants 👉 ua-cam.com/video/-4yWikLTnPc/v-deo.html
I love how you communicate. So relaxed and interesting at the same time.
Thank you 😊
I communicate with your mom the same way.
@@Wolf-xu1fj Wisdom is chasing you, but you're very fast.
@@adrianmillard6598 I can’t slow down
Humidity and probably temperature in the perlite box are much higher! Not equal conditions 😁
Yes that's what I thought too. Also that plastic box seems getting more light.
I root in water and I found they do better when I don't change the water, even if there's algae in it, it still grows well. I only top it up with fresh water once in a while. I noticed when I change the water completely, it slows down so I left it in the dirty water and it's pushing out leaves again.
Interesting 🤔
Thats becos plants release their own rooting hormones into the water as well.
You literally keep the rooting hormones in the water with each top up; and totally flush out when water change.
It is actually faster if you root multiple cuttings in 1 container, as compared to 1 cutting in 1 container.
The concentration of released hormones will be higher, given that the containers are of the same size.
@@Khristos13 I mention this in an upcoming hacks video
I face the same problem every time when I change the water of plant
@@preyasisachan6348I use rain water instead of tap water
I use Sphagnum moss. I surround the cutting in the moss which is very wet. I only water once or twice until they are rooted. Once rooted I put the whole thing in a pot and surround with soil.
Not tried that yet
Since this video is 2 years old I think you know that by now. I'm a newbie, so I really don't know anything but I heard the more nodes are in the water when propragating, the better root development and it needs to have at least 2 leaves left and all the other ones on the stem taken away. I would love to show you how much it grew in 1 month only. 3 healthy thick main roots and each of them having multiple secondary roots.. the first 2 weeks nothing happened but then from nowhere it began AND the more aerial roots noobings, the more roots growing.
I generally root in either water or perlite...perlite is quickly becoming my favorite. Honestly, I'm shocked that was the root development after 12 weeks 🤯 I would have pegged that at 3 weeks or so!
For some reason it took ages 🤷🏻♂️
@@SheffieldMadePlants What season and phase of the moon were the Epipremnum cuttings put in the rooting medium?
After winter solstice and with a waxing moon, most plants will tend to root quicker, in my experience. With best results (for me) in late summer to early autumn.
Perhaps the lid in the container made the difference?
Perlite has sharp edges stimulating root growth. Swimming pool filter sand has the same effect but does not absorb the beneficial oxygen from the air.
i am going to try perlite to propagate.interesting.and plants on water also.
What about getting best of both worlds? Soil and perlite in a mini greenhouse/tote tub?
Sheffield, I can't thank you enough for sharing your green thumb with the rest of us. My first memory of growing a plant was at age 5 in my pre-k class... Everyone's seed sprouted except for a few unlucky folks, yours truly included. It was the most depressing moment of my tiny life. Now at age 31, I am starting to see root growth in my perlite and sphagnum moss covered pothos cuttings... I wish you could see how excited I get when the roots are showing. It feels good to be a witch!! 🪴
Great stuff 👍
Being a self-proclaimed basil propagating expert, I can say that some plants do better at growing roots in water than others.
That is basil (and I'm assuming all water-loving plants) grows roots super quick in water. I can get them to grow tons of roots in just a week or two. Whereas other pla ts that I've propagated take much longer to grow even just one main root.
Conclusion; the varying methods all work. You just have to find the best one for the type of plant you have. 🙂
Good shout 👍
I think I'm in agreement with you. I tried to propagate Jasmine originale (?) in both water, soil, and moss. None grew anything. The ones in moss just rotted. In water, zero. I hadn't yet been turned on to prop boxes at that point in time, though. Maybe I'll try that, but I have a feeling that Jasmine is just very hard-headed and stubborn. 😅
I actually think the ones in dirt, since they’ve been able to draw some extra nutrients from the soil and therefore focus more on root development, don’t feel the need to put out leaves so quickly to supplement the lack there of in the other mediums. As soon as the roots are settled, they’d be much stronger and far more resilient than both of the other methods I’m sure.
I think you’re right. I should do a longer term experiment
Even though the cuttings wouldnt be able to access it until after they start to push out hair roots, maybe a small amout very slow release fertilizer in the perlite.
@@SheffieldMadePlants And make a video about it right? pleeeassse?
@@danielb3573 I would be wary of adding fertiliser to water, perlite or moss. To my mind it might assist in molds and/or bacteria growth which could be present in the air. Sealing cut ends with cinamon or wax should also be beneficial.
I’ve had good success with the perlite in a box method, at least for pothos and also jade.
I use a 24 site Cloner which is a real game changer.
It’s fantastic for vining houseplants where you want to fill up a pot to create a nice full showcase quickly. I’ve had pothos start rooting in 3 days!
If you are really into propagating plants, I highly recommend picking one of these.
I currently run 3 of them but I do cuttings of herbs and outdoor flowering plants as well for my garden and to pretty up my shop 😊
I’ve always had good luck using the water method in a clear plastic cup changing the water once a week. Once the roots are about 2” I use Sheffield’s transfer method to soil: once in soil keep soil VERY wet for about 3 weeks then cut down on the watering. P.S. love your videos!
Thank you 😊
Me again, yes I was right, I live in Jacksonville FL, and 25 years ago an old friend and avid gardener would laugh and answer most of my questions with "just stick em' in the dirt" never used rooting powder, this is such an easy one to get going with or without the powder - ok so now we have another experiment "WITH OR WITHOUT HORMONE STIMULANT" I very much enjoy your videos :) Looking forward to the next one
Thanks for the inspiration 😁
Nods, I own rooting powder--much neglected from disuse and my cuttings just won't stop succeeding.....how many friends does an introvert have? Laughs, I've had to resort to leaving new plants out on the 'free table' in my apartment building's foyer....
@@rocktheboat1: I propagate plants to give to a local (very small) nursery. The nursery provides funding for their program which is basically a daycare for mentally challenged people. I really believe in their mission so I bring plants to them all the time. My Husband says I can't go a day without propagating something.
I read it's best to put a bit of rooting hormone which you will use in a container before dipping your cuttings in it in order to prevent contamination, if any cutting is sick or infected. After that you discard the remaining rooting hormones which are in the container.
Yep rooting hormone is useful 👍
Very interesting! I’ve never propagated anything successfully in soil. I’m surprised by how slowly these cuttings were growing. I’d usually propagate in water; lately I’ve been also propagating in
spagnum moss, and you have inspired me to propagate in perlite. I just started a propagation box with perlite. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Definitely easier than using moss.
Thank you for the post.
Thanks for watching. Let me know how you get on with perlite. I much prefer it to moss.
@@SheffieldMadePlants I promise I will! Thank you. I do already like the perlite method thus far.
I have a bunch of props in water. I just started a prop box a couple days ago. I only have water props because it was the only way I knew to do it until I started watching you!
Cool. Prop boxes are great. You'll get results fast 😁
Same with me. My mom taught me that 60 years ago, at least. I don't think perlite was even a thing back then! 😅
intervesting , i have a few pothos who have previously propagated well in water but no longer (it is winter however) so i will try the perlite
Good luck 🤞
I root pothos mostly in water and soil. Although lately, out of laziness, I root them in soil. They have done extremely well. So I think I am going to stick with rooting them directly in soil going forward.
It is important to ensure that the rooting substrata is well draining with good water retention and kept moist. Lots of oxygen assists in healthy root growth, whether in moss, perlite, soil based or water. Adding some hydrogen peroxide when using propagation in water, IMHO, assists in healthy root growth. However different plants have different requirements and the propagation method will differ depending on it's natural environment.
Your perlite box is a great idea. I’m going to try it. Thanks
It’s great if you’ve got the space
The cutting only has a certain amount of energy. You want it to get roots firdt before it pushes top growth.
To me, this looks like soil has won by a large margin. You don't even need to disturb the roots since its already in the soil. Thanks for this test.
Thanks for watching 😁
Many of these were cut really small too, limiting what little reserves they have (especially the ones that did the worst).
I think with a lot of plants with visible root nodes like pothos, before going direct to soil they can benefit from a good solid soaking for a period of time (e.g. 1-3 days). Grass seed can really benefit from that same water-induced 'jump start' too.
I wrap very wet spangham moss around my cuttings. After a couple of weeks I put the moss in a pot and surround it with soil. I spray the moss when the top starts to dry out. After a couple of months there is new growth.
Interesting method--I'll have to give it a try!
What’s in your soil that you put around the moss and do you leave the cuttings on the moss out like on a table?
I use regular houseplant soil and leave the cuttings wrapped in moss in the middle. It stays like that until it gets root bound which takes several months. The cuttings grow very well. I use regular house plant fertilizer when I see new growth.
@@merleenking6869 yes, I purchased a bunch of baby starter plants like philodendron snow mist and ring of fire. Wow what patience it needs(slow growing) and most wrapped in ‘plug’.
@@mellen5598: I have had more plants die that were in those plugs than not in plugs. I try to feel if they have those plugs (I call them "socks") and I get the plants out of those socks. I think the socks suffocate the roots.
Having lost many cuttings to both soil and water prop, I now use Perlite and heat to root my cuttings. Works every time 👍
💯
Normally I use water but I have started working with perlite. Wish me luck!
🤎 Ur channel❣
Fingers crossed 🤞
While I found faster rooting with perlite (sometimes cat litter) I prefer soil. The plants don't have to adapt from one medium to another.
Perlite is better than water for that. They develop roots touching something
I'd say you could have put all cuttings into the propagation box (or left all of them outside).
For now, a temperature & humidity factor is to be considered. And the medium has different depths.
My guesses...
Perlite: shorter roots
That all makes sense 👍
I started some snow queen pothos and some green pothos, the green rooted right away the white leaves, we'll I'm still waiting
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spagnum moss is very good. The conditions you provieded were not the same. The ones in perlite were in there own humid clear box that would also trap more heat. The others had no covering around them to provide more humidity or heat
From what I’ve seen here I’m going to do is propagate in soil but put a hole in the middle of the soil and put the plant and perlite allowing the roots and first leaves to have an easer time. Then it can spend more time in the pot and grow with out having to mess with it till it’s ready for a new pot. It seem this may speed up the process.
Great stuff 👍
Hello, I use another method for some time now, which has helped me create new roots, which is synthetic wool (used in aquarium filters), the positive thing is that I don't need to constantly control the humidity, because it preserves humidity for a long time, it helps (in some cases) to keep the stem out of water but still moist enough.
Thanks for the tip
@@SheffieldMadePlantsI think I can call it synthetic cotton instead wool.
The cutting which were put in the glass would have rooted better if the light had been excluded.
Twelve weeks is a long time.
The cuttings in the perlite would have developed roots quicker than the ones in the soil because of the temperature and humidity in the perlite box. However, after they had developed roots you starved them by leaving them in the sterile perlite when they needed nutrients to grow.
In order to root cuttings this way, you need the temperature to be in the mid 20’s centigrade and the humidity to be up about 70 to 80 percent like you have in perlite box. So the conditions were not the same for all the cuttings.
I’m so new at this but I’ve learned so much from your videos. Thank you so much!
I'm so glad!
I root mostly in water and have had no problems (I don't use tap water but rather filtered or bottled water), but if you use rooting powder, don't try to root in water. Rooting powder becomes a gel-like substance that kinda repels water! Also, as mentioned in other comments, not equal growing conditions in regards to temperature and humidity...
I love a nice N Joy with chunky variegation.
I would think that the plant didn't root in the water because the glass was clear. I've heard that it takes plants much longer to propagate if the roots are exposed to sunlight when in water. Also maybe there was chlorine in the water and not enough nitrates? I am interested to try out perlite next time i decide to do propagations especially in that box where you can regulate the humidity better.
Interesting! This is timely, although I know it’s a year old, because I have a pothos N’Joy that I bought as 2 or 3 rooted cuttings and all but one died. The survivor is getting long so I was thinking yesterday about propagating it to get a fuller plant!
They prop quite easily if a little slow
Crazy slow, but all the cuttings finally put out new growth and I’ve got them in the same pot. Maybe one day it will be a large, full plant! 😂
Have you tried to root a hoya Australis in LECA? If not..., why, but if you have, can you advise me on your results😊. Love your videos
I’ve not propped anything in leca. I used perlite to prop my Hoya. The leca Queen is great on leca
Question! You're not worried about spraying leaves for the cuttings, but caution against spraying leaves for other plants. Will the enclosed space protect against mold?
You need it to keep the humidity really high in the box. The leaf you use won’t last forever but serves to grow roots
Going to chop up an Epipremnum today and I guess I’ll be sticking the cuttings in perlite then. Or I might do my own experiment and try some in perlite and some on leca. 🤔
Everytime I propagate I get mold. Everyone shuts their containers but idk why when I do that it gets mold over night. I don’t understand. It was under a grow light
Can you leave it ajar slightly?
@@SheffieldMadePlants okay so I started leaving it open just a bit and it has definitely helped I make sure to keep it open a crack! Thank you so much! I think I’m gonna keep trying!
The apical meristem of plants rooted in water will be weaker, and if transplanted to soil or soilless medium they will struggle from the damage which ensues from pushing out new growth against a substrate much denser than what they've (literally) grown used to.
Plants rooted in water will be best suited for remaining in water, whereas plants rooted in soil or other dense medium will adjust better to being transplanted to soil/less medium.
The cuttings which had more root growth and less leaves are actually healthier-they're displaying an awareness of enough environmental security and photosynthesizing efficiency to go ahead and take the time to generate a stronger root structure before spending more energy generating foliar growth and wasting carbohydrates from the roots. We want them to concentrate on roots first, not vegetative growth.
Plants with tiny root structures already pushing out leaves are either grasping for better opportunity for photosynthesis due to too little light/nutrients, or possibly a nutrient/hormone imbalance. Gibberellins can cause a preference to foliar growth like auxin, for example, in many plants. (That's a nursery trick for generating short, bushy growth that completely halts when you bring the plant home).
Great knowledge thanks for that. You can get away with rooting in water and transferring to soil
@@SheffieldMadePlants I didn't say you "can't get away with it."
I said plants will do best in a medium most similar to the one they were cloned and grew roots in.
It's just botanical science, no need to take it personally.
Great explanation. I had to look up “Gibberllins” and “auxin” since I had never heard those terms - basically “hormones” but your post is very informative. 😻
I have 2 monstera plants and they were sent to me in perlite
Straight soil, even with rooting powder rarely works for me. But love water or perlite under soil layer props for strongest roots. NEVER taken 12 weeks for growth though! Usually have at least 1-3 inch roots within 3 weeks for pothos. 6-8 max for non pothos salvageables.
Really not sure why it took so long 🤷🏻♂️
Nods, I get fast roots as well. If I'm thickening up a pothos I wind a long vine back and root it in the same pot as it is planted in and it roots up fast. Otherwise I root them in a bunch in water with longer stems with several leaves and they do fine--all without rooting compound. I really think rooting compound is a mythological scam....
My guess is perlite is best. Especially with it being in a humidity box.
Perlite seems to be further along. Then the soil w/perlite, and then water only. Well, now that's a surprise in a way. I'd like to do some. Yup. Thank you!
Hi. I propagated my fiddle leaf fig into coco peat and vermiculite today. How frequently should I water it? Peat has previously got moldy in my cool house. Should i do some fungicide as prevention?
Hard to say how often you should water. Depends on your house. You need to judge when the soil is starting to dry out and top it up with water. Spraying every couple of days works well
I usually propagate pothos in water but after I transfer them from water to soil max of them die. Eventhough they have long roots.
Seeing your video i think i should try to propagate in soil+perlite and see
It’s an easier transfer 👍
I'm still new to this, so don't take anything I say to heart. Always do your own research. After I transfer my water rooted plants in to soil I keep the soil very wet for the first bit while they start to adapt to being in soil instead. I do maybe twice the amount of watering I would do than if it was already used to soil. Then I just cut back once the plant starts doing well again. This is just what has worked for me though.
@@tiannalarson4068 that's a good idea
I'm still learning how to prop! I've done water & soil for many things the past 2 years & my success rate is poor. So now I'm going to try your prop box! Can I take my water cuttings & put them in the box now? Thanks for the idea & your proof it works! I'm optimistic, thanks to you, where I've been disappointed for the rest of the past 2 years! May I ask a question? If you don't have time to answer, I understand! My cuttings, the ones that do ANYthing that is, do quite well for a while once rooted, then about a month later (+/-) many of them suddenly wilt & die. Rot, I get, but these don't seem to be rotted at all, just shriveled & dead. Doesn't matter if they're green leafy plants or succulents, well maybe the leafy ones do a bit better since I do have some of them alive, but very few succulents! I use my water meter. Confession, poor lighting & I've lost some in 2" pots b/c they got dry quicker than I expected, & some rotted at the stem even though the mix was dry (philos starters, 2" & pods). Something similar happens to more mature pre-potted plants. IDK if I let them get too dry between waterings, or what! Then again, being their helicopter Mom, I don't want to drown them! I've loved a lot of plants to death in the past! Thank you for what you do! I'm so glad I found your videos! You're my new BFF!!
Legend!
I have not mastered cuttings, they always seem to root rot. My most success has been with spagnum moss
Nice experiment. Water will root well, but is poor to produce shoots compared to soil, Something to do with hormone distribution being affected by water or light, I guess.
I've had success with sea sand, avg. 0.5 mm and cuttings I dealt with were 5mm dia. or more. It is closest to the perlite situation. Sand has little organic matter, lower humidity compared to soil.
Needed an experiment of individual cutting vs a clump of cuttings.
Temperature plays an important role with near about 28°C being optimum, I believe. Light flux is also a factor, but I can't pinpoint levels other than saying bright indirect light.
That was a good experiment
I have found that sphagnum moss is the best way to root plants, peat moss 2nd. Try it and make a video please.
Problem with moss is getting it off the roots
My water rootings do much better than these and I use bigger cuttings with about 3 leaves because I also LOVE the decorative look of them rooting in a mason jar! I also put a couple of them in one jar so maybe like others have said they share their own root hormones.
I think that's right 👍
I have cuttings of Pothos Marble Queen that started popping out roots in water in 6 days. But maybe Marble Queen roots faster than your version. 12 weeks seems like an awful long time to root though.
After my personal experiences growing plants i always had a theory with plants in soil i call it "bitting in" its basically when your plants roots are getting used to their new home a certain handshake if you will has to take place between plant and soil. If you get it right the plant will appear to not really be doing to much then outta know where in a week it grows like crazy. The plants you did in soil were charging themselves for the nxt step it looks like. Given enough time the plants in soil would have won in health department by far.
I like the theory and the way you put it!
Agreed, that's my experience. What you want when propagating a plant is strong root growth at first. If you get that then the plant will eventually start making new leaves and they'll be stronger and faster growing once they start. As for the water cuttings I'd question my water--try using bottled water instead of tap and see it that improves next time.
That particular plant, I find , does better in a mix of soil and perlite 50/50. Put them on west facing windowsill and they grow.
I think, perlite results are because of humidity maintained.
I am also looking for same size box for my cutting.
Definitely 💯
Damn, I hoped soil would win lol. I'm just trying a perlite propagation box for the first time and got mold on the cuttings second day already so looking for alternative solutions that could save my wee monstera babies
perlite is best starter cause water and air ratio can be so amazing and the fast using clear container even better for light. dirt has so pro but more con then perlite when starting a cutting. Perlite I find honestly the best cause keeps air next starting root, little water retention (with misting helps), and then all u need is light. soil i found hold water, but if it to much doesn't all enough air even it 50/50 dirt and perlite that down side water done water enough it can also hinder root growth. it all about trying balance air, water and light.
Agree with that. Perlite is my preference and then water. I like to see what’s going on too!
@@SheffieldMadePlants being able to see what going is plus
I usually use sand and find it works well when material is good
I can see that 👍
I use water to do mine, and I never change my water, but I usually have good roots in two to three weeks. Not sure why yours didn't have roots in 12 weeks.
How often do you air out the propagation box? Or can you just poke holes in the lid?
Every couple of days will be fine.
Soil is good for taking cuttings mixed with plenty of perlite etc.
Try the same test without rooting powder...........
I found if you nick the nodes on the pathos cutting before placing them in water they root much faster
Please elaborate.
Can you redo this but with fluval stratum and tree fern fiber?
what about perlite/pumice mixed with a small amount of soil (containing worm castings/chicken poop etc), or water with added nutrients like nitrogen?
Doesn't speed up rooting process because plants need roots to draw up nutrients
In the tropics the roots come in a matter of days
I think pearlite and soil. My water takes to long. Almost 6 months. Do you have a video with Arrowhead plants
I never use rooting powder either but I have a perfect window with a lot of light.
I’ve heard that propagating in water with dark glass works better than clear.
You need a dark glass for the water propagation.
I saw someone say that plants propagate much better in tinted glass (like a bottle of Stella for example) rather than clear glass. Do you know this to be true? If so, do you know if spray painting clear glass have the same effect? Pretty much only trust your advice at the moment 😆
I've been meaning to test it
I propagate with water and have been very successful.
Hello from Austria, Europe !
After having watched a couple of your fascinating and extremely helpful videos I set up yesterday a propagation box with perlite for my succulents and devil's heart. Now I 'm not sure:
1. How much water should stay in the box
2. Do I have to change the water or clean the perlite every now and then ?
Hey there! Keep the perlite moist but not wet. Water shouldn't pool at the bottom on the container. I mist every few days. I don't clean the perlite but this does result in some greening. I'm not bothered about that though.
I have learned so much from your videos. I have a question. I tried propagating in perlite and my roots rooted including some of my leaves. What am I doing wrong.
Pothos isn't a plant which grows in soil in its native habitat, which is where I live. It is a tropical vine, an epiphyte. It creeps along the jungle floor and up tree trunks and over rocks. Those are AERIAL ROOTS. They're not conventional soil roots. Aerial roots, like those on orchids and monstera, need to be exposed to the air for the plant to grow normally. They grow in high-humidity environs among dead leaves and branches, so they don't need water, nutrients and oxygen from soil, they absorb it all from the air and from run-off water. Plants with aerial roots do not need soil.
(1) Water: Shuts off the air needed for new growth, essentially suffocating it. One commenter said something interesting: they did not change the water and left it even if algae grew in it, and their cuttings sprouted roots and leaves. Brackish water provides nutrients. If the water is changed regularly, the cutting does not get the nutrients it needs for new growth.
(2) Soil: There is a similar effect, though not as severe. Soil has air pockets in between the soil grains. Since soil is fine-grained, it may not provide enough air/oxygen to the roots and there may be a mild suffocating effect taking place.
(3) Perlite: It not only has sufficient air pockets between the grains but is also a fast-draining medium. Among the 3 methods, the cutting gets the most amount of air and its roots are not water-bound, if perlite is used.
The best way to propagate pothos is to just leave the cuttings on top of damp soil or perlite or even paper or cloth. Keep the medium damp until new roots and leaves sprout. Do not repot in soil. Use a few pebbles, wood chips, twigs or charcoal in about an inch of water, place cuttings on top of the medium and put it somewhere airy. They'll start growing well in no time.
I have 2 pothos in hanging containers (started with 1 container) which are growing vigorously. The plants constantly grow outside their containers; that is their nature. If a stem gets too long, like the one at the beginning of this video, I either coil it back into the container or I cut it off and stick the base end into the water at the bottom of the container, or into a new container with the same setup.
@@istudios225 Very knowledgeable and informed comment. You taught an old dog a few new tricks. Thanks 😉
@@daanwessels4781 My pleasure. Cheers!
Question for you about propagating plants in water. I’ve been told that if roots appear on one cutting and not the others, you should leave the rooted one in the water because it produces hormones that encourages the other ones to root. You do change the water though. What’s your opinion on this theory? I have tried it and think it might have some merit.
I can see that working. I've heard adding a pothos cutting to the water is good too for the same reason
My husband just brought home a miracle gro perlite, the perlite with additives. Will it be safe to use as normal perlite?
What’s the additives? Never seen that
How often do you water the cuttings in soil? What method you use?
Probably once a week when the soil dries out
@@SheffieldMadePlants Thank you 😊
BTW, for newly propagated plants, is it good to use bottom watering? Because the root system is still under development.
@@bonitacheng6574 don’t think it matters
Always have more success in perlite
What happened to the broken heart plant in the perlite box ?
Growing up a trellis now 👍
i thought the soil method would work best until i saw that the perlite was in a closed environment then i wasnt sure.. i think you had too much water in the glasses and most people say not to change the water and i think that method produces roots that are accustomed to growing in water, when you pot it up they will have to grow new roots for growing in soil. i think if you would have popped the pots with soil into the case with the perlite cuttings they would have been even further along. i always propagate right into soil and usually put them into a plastic bag, with 2 inches of soil, that i close for the first few days then open for ventilation after that.. quick and perfect cuttings every time
I use all 3 methods really but I'm leaning more towards water just for the simplicity and being able to see progress
I believe Perlite will root the fastest. I just put my hoya and variegated chain of hearts in Perlite on 7/3/23 this is my 1st propagation.
Nice 👌
How did it go?
I have a hard time propagating my string of hearts, they keep dying 😢
Is it possible to create a video 🫠, how to propagate alocasia from Bulb or Corm, Philodendron pink and also Calatheas?
I am struggling to have more babies but I don'T wanna destroy the mother plant since they are doing good 😌
I’ll have a think
Thanks
I am shocked about the water cuttings, maybe it is the N’joy. When I put other types of pothos in water, within and week or two you start to see roots. Within 6 week they are ready to pot. Now I normally have a bit longer cutting - 1 or two leaves and a node without any leaves, which is where the roots come from.
Perlite vs soil seem so close that you can choose whatever you prefer. I bet the perlite requires less attention to keep moist than soil.
Yes good point 👍
I believe that the two leaf nodes that were better were taken from a different location on the original branch of that plant
Yes probably
Another really good video, but the best medium for cuttings does very much depend on the species, in my experience, sphagnum moss is the best all-rounder although not a panacea😉
All 3 methods are slow for some reason. I use water but i don't change the water, i top it up when needed and within 3 weeks they have a good grown especially in the warmer months
It was probably a bit slower because i started in winter.
Do you use a certain kind of perlite? The kind I have seems to contain a fertilizer mix. I wouldn't want to overwhelm my cuttings I think?
Didn’t know they did perlite with fertiliser in. The substance you use should be inert
@@SheffieldMadePlants thanks for the reply, makes sense!
I have noticed- not all Pothos are the same - my Pearl & jade is much easier to care for than njoy. My lemon lime Pothos for me is a slower grower than my green or marble queen .
I agree with that. My lemon lime is very slow. Devils ivy is rapid
Can you use vermiculite in place of perlite?
Yes you can use anything inert really
water would be my guess for the quickest root
I always root in water
I definitely notice a thicker woodier stem won't root as fast & a stem way too young won't root, it will usually rot
Nice video! Hope you'll include moss next time😊
Thank you. Will do, just need to get some!
I've put Pothos cuttings in water. It's the first time I've ever tried to cut them. Very little happened within 2 month, only one small root from each. So I put some on the edge of my aquarium, with just the leaves sticking out. No new root sprouts, but the single one they have are growing about 1½ cm each day. There are no sign of new leaves, so I'm wondering if it is impossible for the plant to make leaves when it is in water. Actually I'm surprised that the plants in perlite boxes doesn't root because of the high humidity.
I think cuttings being slow to root is all down to light. The more light you give em the quicker they will develop roots. When i put them under grow lights they get roots real quick
@@SheffieldMadePlants Could be. The cuttings was taken at the darkest time of the year, and I don't use any other light than my big windows.