Root cuttings anyone??

[Tiggerkeeper]

Does anyone else here grow their plants from root cuttings?

Most of my natural plants are grown from cuttings. I can remember my Grandmother (who had an incredible estate of gardens) and her friends exchanging cuttings all the time. Last year one of the guys working at our Lowe's was cleaning up a plant spill after a storm and was going to throw away a pile of broken Butterfly Bushes and he gave me a couple little branches. Now those little branches are the size of the five gallon plants they sell. One is yellow and one is a very dark purple.

I have several plants that relatives have broken off their mother plants and given me. Kinda like a living gift! Not to mention an inexpensive way to plant your beds!

Do you use the water to dirt method or the root powder in dirt when you grow them?

Melissa

 

[ckay87]

I thought you meant taking part of the plant with roots. I do that. But do you mean you just break off part of the plant and root it in water? I'd like to learn more about that.

Many of my plants have been shared by other people (by digging out part of the root.) Although, as I said in another post, I do tend to inherit new weeds as well. But yes, I think it adds a lot of love and meaning to a garden.

Share any tips you have - I'd be interested.

 

[gina2000]

I root a couple of different ways.

If I break off a branch....I put in into water and wait for those baby roots to form. Then I transplant the root into the ground. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. (I'm a pretty hit or miss gardener).

There is another method a very, very good friend used to use....she was really a master gardener. She would do this with azaleas alot (her favorite). She'd slit a branch....not through but enough to display a small amount of inner flesh. Then she'd weigh it down into the earth using a brick or stone and leave it there to root. Once it rooted, she'd cut the branch so it was separated from the original bush. She let it get stronger and then transplant it wherever she wanted. Voila! New plant!

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Gina2000, I almost forgot about the rooting from the branches still attached. I do that with forsythia and ivy. My silly azaleas tend to do this without my help!

ckay87, I break off the top of a stem and strip the leaves except for the the top two sets then put it in a baby food jar of water, then put it in a window for sunlight. When the new roots appear well established I put the plant in a pot of rich dirt, then set it outside in a shaded area (out of direct sunlight while still tender). After about 3-4 weeks I'll put the new plant out in the yard and keep it well watered.

I have tried the root powder on the end of a broken piece of plant and then put it in dirt but haven't had much luck with it that way.

I have been thinking about setting up a little greenhouse type structure on the patio so I could grow more rootings since my window space is limited. At least with this method I can reproduce from my favorite plants and know exactly what I am getting!