Cuttings need energy to make roots. If the cutting has too many leaves – or even too long of stem – it will spend its limited energy keeping those alive instead of on growing roots. I love a long cutting for the potential of a new big baby plant, but it's better to cut it into sections and root them each separately.
Just Add Water
Put your cutting in a clear glass jar or vase so the roots can get some sun. Use a beaker or bottle-shaped vase so the cutting stays nicely in place. That's it! You may need to change the water every few weeks or trim back the roots in a year, but until then, it's completely self-sustainable.
You're not changing the water
Roots need air in order to grow. You should try and change the water with fresh tap water every 2-3 days or so for best results because oxygen in the water will be depleted.
Be sure to add fresh water as needed until the cuttings are fully rooted. Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up. This plant has heavy rooting and is ready to be moved to a pot with potting soil.
He says to cut three to four inches of the stem below the leaf node. Place these cuttings in water and you should see them begin to root by seven days at most. These plants can then be placed in the soil when the root clusters are one to two inches long.
Too much or too frequent application of mist / fog keeps the growing medium saturated, excess water will flow from the bottom of the trays and rooting will be delayed. Applying mist / fog too infrequently will increase transpiration from the leaves and cuttings will lose turgidity and could die from drying out.
Clip off the leaves on the lower half of the shoot so you have a bare stem to insert into your potting mix. Then, if you want, dip the end of your stem in rooting hormone. This generally helps cuttings root more quickly.
The reason cuttings rot is that over time, the oxygen level of the water drops unless it's moving or oxygen is added. Not only do plants need oxygen in order to grow roots (and, indeed everything else), but the bacteria that cause rotting thrive in low-oxygen environments.
Some plants will root in water, but cuttings will develop a better root system when rooted in a soil-less potting mix. Sand or perlite can also be used, especially for cuttings that need good drainage and may rot if kept too wet.
Place the cutting in a clean glass. Poor enough room temperature water to cover the nodes of the cutting. Change out the water every 3-5 days with fresh room temperature water. Wait and watch as your roots grow!
As long as you give them proper nutrients in the water, they can thrive indefinitely without soil.
Managing photosynthetic light during callusing is a balancing act. Enough light should be provided so cuttings can photosynthesize, producing the carbohydrates required to sustain the cutting as well as promote new growth, including root development.
Auxins stimulate root formation on the stem cuttings, e.g., IBA, IBA-alanine, NAA. NAA is synthetic auxin while IBA is considered as both natural and synthetic.
In general, the rooting medium should be sterile, low in fertility, drain well enough to provide oxygen, and retain enough moisture to prevent water stress.
If you root your cutting in water, it develops roots that are best adapted to get what they need from water rather than from soil, Clark pointed out. If you move the plant immediately from water to soil, the plant may be stressed. Instead, add a small amount of soil to the water that you're using to root your cutting.
Controversially, I'm gonna suggest you don't water them very often. I would start with very evenly moist airy soil – water in sans cutting, and mix it round so it's not saturated at the bottom. Add your cutting, and then mist the surface thoroughly daily (trying not to get the cutting). Twice a day if it's hot or dry.
Cut off any diseased roots using a sterile cutting tool like a knife or scissors. You want to make sure that you're cutting off the roots that are black and mushy. After you've cut off any dead roots, we recommend soaking them in an 80:20 solution of water to hydrogen peroxide. Five minutes or so should be sufficient.
Change water as it seems cloudy. Usually, once a week or once in two weeks. Plant your cuttings when you see the first roots are at least 1 cm (half an inch) long.
Keep the cutting in a bright area, but away from direct sunlight. In 2-3 weeks, roots should have formed on the bottom of the cutting. Carefully feel under the cutting with your fingers to see if roots have started growing. If they have not developed, you'll have to make another cutting and restart the process.
According to Richa, overwatering is the most common failure. 'When propagating cuttings, it's important to ensure the soil is moist but not waterlogged,' she says. 'Overwatering can easily lead to root rot. To avoid this, wait until the top inch of soil is dry before watering your cuttings.
A small amount of apple cider vinegar is all you need to create this organic rooting hormone, and too much may prevent rooting. (Vinegar for garden use actually includes using apple cider vinegar to kill weeds.) A teaspoon of vinegar in 5 to 6 cups (1.2-1.4 L.) of water is enough.
Cuttings need energy to make roots. If the cutting has too many leaves – or even too long of stem – it will spend its limited energy keeping those alive instead of on growing roots. I love a long cutting for the potential of a new big baby plant, but it's better to cut it into sections and root them each separately.
Once your cuttings begin to form tiny hair-like roots in the water (usually 2-4 weeks) that are a half-inch long it is safe to plant them directly into some potting soil. The longer you wait, the more roots that will form on the stems and new leaves will begin to form as well.