Water rooting - attempt #1

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tarnado
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Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:54 pm

Water rooting - attempt #1

Post by tarnado »

I pruned back my Sumbar pomegranate in Seattle hard this winter. I saved some pruning to start cuttings, but then I gave those away.

So all the material I had left were long whips that I had used as a make-shift broom for sweeping pavement! Oops!

I trimmed and formed the whips into cuttings, and then I placed the cuttings into just-damp sphagnum. After a few weeks I checked on them, and they were showing signs of rot at the ends, but buds were starting to push put. So I instead decided to place the cuttings directly in water, which I have done with figs. I saw pombazaar themself claimed it worked well, so fingers crossed!
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Fidalgo Island in the Puget Sound, Washington State - zone 8b but tell me please about this thing called "heat."
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pombazaar
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Location: Detroit, MI Zone 6b

Re: Water rooting - attempt #1

Post by pombazaar »

I should really update my former post about this.

This method does work but will yield poor results. Poor results meaning a higher chance of mold and weak brittle roots that will need to re-stabilize once transferred to soil. Indoor rooted cuttings also seem to be more likely to be damaged by sunburn once moved outside. The best method is to put cuttings in moderately packed soil in a cup and keep the cup outside. You'll have roots in 2-4 weeks without any of these issues.
tarnado
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:54 pm

Re: Water rooting - attempt #1

Post by tarnado »

I jabbed a few other whips in the soil. They have buds swelling, now.

I am leery of just putting them in cups, outside. Out nights stay cool even in the summertime, and the soil temperature seem to be really critical for root development in other species o have propagated. Perhaps I will try just in soil in cups on a warm mat (next time).
Fidalgo Island in the Puget Sound, Washington State - zone 8b but tell me please about this thing called "heat."
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