Dawn, I just visited your pictures and I am quite amazed at your results ! I have decided to try some cuttings in water of my own to see if I can also get results as easily as this.
1.) Can you tell me your lighting conditions ? (Are your cuttings are in light or are they in the dark ?)
2.) Also, how long have these stems been in the water ? (How many months approximately)
3.) Were these cuttings taken AFTER their bloom or did you take cuttings BEFORE their bloom ?
$.) Did ALL of the cuttings in water root for you ?

Many thanks, this is quite interesting !
Suzy

Way to go Dawn. You certainly have succeeded in rooting in water. I too am curious to the questions that Suzy asked. In addition, did you change the water in the container with any regularity or did you just add water as needed? Was your water city water that is chlorinated or is it well water?

Thanks for your replies.

Miguel

Suzy:
I would be pleased to answer your questions. My cuttings were rooted in my kitchen window that gets indirect light. My cuttings were in water since early July. I cut them off my Bees Jubilee by mistake. I hated to throw them out so I just stuck them in water. They did not have any blooms on them before I cut them. I think all the cuttings rooted except one. You have got me fascinated. I think I will take some cuttings from my Nelly Moser. She is still putting forth some new blooms. I have not been hit with heavy frost yet and yesterday I saw 8 or 9 blooms on Nelly. This will be a good winter project. I will take a picture for you of the glass sitting on my window sill. I have learned, thru trial and error, that when rooting cuttings in pots, in a plastic bag, that heat is the killer of cuttings, so I have to constantly monitor to make sure they are okay.
Dawn

Hi Miguel:
The water I used was filtered city water from my kitchen tap. As I recall, when the glass was half full of water I topped it up with new water. I think the real test will be if I can get them to grow in a pot, don't you think???
Dawn

Dawn, I would assume that the roots will take some time to adjust to real soil, but I think they'll be fine after this adjustment period.
Most books only talk about the 'soil'method or 'air layering' method for starting clematis. I have found that the soil method for striking cuttings can be very difficult at times. Some clematis are almost impossible for me to root. I am simply dumbfounded about your easy method and clearly remarkable results ! I am interested in trying your water method on a broader range of clematis types and hybrids to see if they are all this easy to root. Thanks for your great pictures. I think you're on to something exciting for those of us who have had trouble rooting cuttings in soil. I will be experimenting quite a bit ! My hope is that your Nelly Moser is not the ONLY clematis that can be rooted in water ! We shall see....
Great subject here !
Suzy

Thanks for the answers Dawn!

Miguel

This is quite amazing. I have propagated lots of roses and many other shrubs from cuttings with good success, but have had very little luck rooting clematis with rooting hormone in pots with soil by similar methods.I was going to try layering, but now I am going to try this water method, seems just like what we used to do to root all kinds of house plants! Worth a try. Dawn, can you comment on where on the stem you cut (distance from the node) and whether you leave the leaves etc. Thanks.

Oh Suzy, if your sister didn't layer her pretty blue one for you, you need to get her to try this method. I too will try some cuttings in water. I suppose we have nothing to lose by trying it now even though the plants have flowered, but if this doesn't work, we may have better luck next Spring before they flower. We have had a couple of frosts, but maybe tomorrow before it gets dark, I will try to find a couple of still live stems to try.

Joan, I will surely ask her to take some cuttings for me. I wrote to Brian Collingwood about this method and he said it should work just fine, but he recommended changing the water frequently.
How DUMB of me to have assumed all these years that this water method wouldn't work on clematis ! I should have known it would, since I've used it for so many other woody plants, but the experts never talk about this unbelievably simple method for clematis, so I assumed it couldn't be done. Dawn's results PROVE that at least some clematis can be rooted in water !

Suzy

This is such exciting news! I'm going to go look at the pics on the gallery. Thanks for posting the pic for all of us to see.

I'm going to take cuttings of mine and they are going on my work windowsill for the next few months.

Maurreen

thanks for the posting...you have inspired me to run out in my pajamas and grab the still living stems of all the clematis I own to try this over the winter. Just in the nick of time also since it really is november!
maureen

Roserobin:
Did you have a look on the gallery side of what my cuttings look like? That will give you an idea of where to take your cuttings. I think all of this was a fluke for me in not wanting to throw out my cuttings. Instead, I just left them on my window sill for months. I think the clematis with good, woody stems would be the cuttings that would root the best. I have Alpina Willy and stems from this clematis would probably rot in the water before they get a chance to root, IMHO.
Dawn

I've got limited experience rooting clematis cuttings in soil, but I read somewhere that the key to success is making sure you have dormant buds in the leaf axils of the part you put in the ground. That is where the roots can grow from. It is possible that putting that part of the stem in water would also yield better results.

Karin that is what I was wondering about in my question. Dawn it looks like from the photos you posted that you just rooted stems between leaf nodes; there does not appear to be a leaf node where the roots formed . Can you clarify this? Thanks.
Karin, where in BC are you?

I'm in the big city!

Roserobin, it does appear that the photos Dawn posted shows that she did not use stems with nodes in them except for the one that would have been above water level in her glass of water. Karin raised an interesting point though. In most clematis sources that I have seen when they talk about starting traditional cuttings using rooting hormone and potting medium, they talk about using internodal cuttings--stems without nodes except for the top part where a few leaves are left intact or partially cut back somewhat to reduce moisture loss during the rooting process. There are a few sources however where they use pieces of stem where two nodes are used with one being buried and the other left above soil. They don't mention why one would use one versus two nodes however. It would be interesting to see if using such a piece of stem using the water rooting method would yield any better results.

Thanks for your comments about rooting with or without leaf nodes. I think I will experiment with both and see which works. I have not had much success rooting in soil, but do not have a misting system or bottom heat. Maybe water rooting will be the easy solution.

I'm sure when I rooted my Nelly Moser cutting three years ago, I just used the same method, only I rooted it in a pot. No nodes on the cutting. I remember I took the cuttings at the end of our season here, around Sept./Oct., rooted it over the winter, planted it in the summer, and this past summer I had about 6 or 7 blooms.
Dawn

Hi - I found this thread to be quite interesting. I, too, have taken cuttings from various clematis that I have, and have rooted them in water. In fact, I just potted up a jackmanii last week, that was rooted in water. I will keep that one in the house over the winter. Last fall I took a cutting from Mdme. Julia Correvon - it took about 4 months, but it rooted! I gave it to one of my sisters in spring - it even had a bloom on it at the time!

But as mentioned earlier, you need to be patient, they take several months to root. Mine were in a garden window in my kitchen, facing north. How Fun! Gotta have someting to do over the winter months, right?

Sandy, thanks for posting your rooting experiences with clematis using just water. Are there other types that you have found that will root in water other than Jackmanii and Julia Correvon? If you have read all of the posts in this thread, did you follow the same general procedure as far as water changes, lighting exposure, etc. that Dawn outlined previously?

This is one great thing about forums--they allow people to exchange experiences with various aspects of a given topic. Any others out there that have had success rooting clematis in water? If so, please post details of the specific varieties you have had success or failure with and any special things that you might have done regardings water changes, light exposure, etc.

Well..... I will let you know how taking cuttings to root in water works on Polish Spirit and Niobe. I took cuttings today - keeping my fingers crossed, I will let you know what happens in Spring!

Yes, I think I pretty much did the same as Dawn. I took the cuttings and simply placed then into a clear glass vase. They sat in my kitchen's garden window on the north side of the house. I changed the water in the vase probably every other week. Then I waited.....3 to 4 months!

Sandy

I took cuttings from many clematis tonight....just in time, because the wind is incredible now. We're supposed to have flurries tonight and up to 5" tomorrow. We'll see. I worry that the leaves may be a little brown. I took pictures, but I can't get my camera to work right now. Hmm.

Here's the picture now.
As you can see, the leaves may be dormant and this may not be successful. What do you think, hoot?

{{gwi:624950}}

Hi gimmieclemmies:
They don't look that bad. If I get a chance I will post my pictures of some clemmies I had rooting in pots. Got tired of looking after them so pulled them out of the pots and stuck them in water. Do your cuttings get some light?
Dawn

Well yesterday I took two cuttings apiece of my clematis japonica and Venosa Violacea to see if they might root in just water. Let the waiting begin!!

Well yesterday I took two cuttings apiece of my clematis japonica and Venosa Violacea to see if they might root in just water. Let the waiting begin!!

My mom told me several years ago she took 3 cuttings and put them in pots under flourescent lights in her basement. They were completly green cuttings and taken in late fall. She said that it took a while but all three eventually turned brown. She said she continued watering through the entire winter but that by the time spring came around all had sprouted from below. I just called her and she said she buried a couple internodes.

Just thought I'd share.

Dax

To those of you who tried this, last November, how are your cuttings doing? I was not successful this time, ended up throwing them out around Christmas time..... I will try again though!

Sandy

Hi Sandylovesflowers:
My cuttings are doing just great. They are spouting leaves and I still have them in the water. I am thinking that I should pot them up so I can plant them in my garden around June or July.
Dawn

Dawn, Glad to hear they are doing well. Were they Nelly Mosers that you rooted in water?

Sandy

I was just thinking of looking for this link the other day to say how my cuttings were doing (not good).
Hoot, can I see your brown ones and their roots? Maybe I shouldn't throw mine away. I've been thinking of throwing in the towel!
I, too, threw the bulk of mine away shortly after Christmas.

Hi Sandylovesflowers:
It is so long ago that I took the cuttings that I'm not sure what I took them from. It seems to me though that it may have been Bees Jubilee. I did, however, do cuttings of Nelly, put them in a pot and they did grow, about two years ago, and it is now happily planted in my garden.
Dawn

Hi gimmieclemmies:
Did you have a look at the gallery side to see my cuttings in water, and then the leaves that are being produced while the cuttings are in the water? I think I didn't get frustrated with my cuttings, just never bothered to throw them out. I think it took around 5 or 6 months for them to root.
Dawn

Hello everyone, I am just checking on any more successes as well. Thank you Hoot for this post. I used to have a big montana ruebens the I lost during our move. I layered a piece of it a year before we moved for my mother. I am going to take a few cuttings from the one I gave my Mom.

I know everyone was talking about winter but 2 years ago- I broke a piece of a Jackmani in May and put it in water just because i couldn't throw it away and put it in my kitchen window. It put out roots and I stuck it in one of those peat pots and planted the whole thing. Bloomed last year as nice as the original. So, try it in the spring too..

Hoot, could you post the address of those pictures?
I threw away my cuttings, but I probably shouldn't have.
I need to compare what I had to yours.
I'm going to try it earlier in the season this year.
Looks as though I may have lost several already.

gimmieclemmies:
I posted pictures of my cuttings on the gallery side of this forum. Just last weekend I finally potted them up, and hoping to be able to put them in my garden this year. If I get a chance I will post a picture of the cuttings potted up.
Dawn

Very interesting... I am about to prune back my Ville de Lyon clematis, because they're a group 3 and need to be cut down pretty low. But I noticed that some of the old wood is putting out little leaves right now. So, knowing those branches still have some life in them, maybe they'll root if I put them in water.

Maybe I'll throw some willow branches in the water with them -- I read something last year about how you can create "willow water" that acts as a rooting hormone for stem cuttings placed in water. I tried it last fall with some Japanese maples -- I left them in the willow water all winter, and I transferred the ones that still had some green in them to a potting medium and bagged them up a few weeks ago. They look like they're surviving. But they didn't actually root in the water (but it was winter, so it might have just been the wrong time).

I'm going to try it, and I'll try to remember and report back this summer on how they turned out!

Just reporting back that my cuttings never rooted in water. I was one of the people who in the fall took cuttings placed them in water in a clear vase and waiting like 3-4 months. Nothing happened and they looked dead. I'm going to try again.

I have Dr. Ruppel
HF Young
and Will Goodwin

Only Dr. Ruppel is labeled, the other 2 I'm not sure which is which till they bloom.

Anyone want to trade cuttings for cuttings?

Thanks
Maureen

It's been about six weeks since I put my spring trimmings in water from my Ville de Lyon clematis. I have about five small branches that have small green leaves, but no roots are appearing. I have them sitting under a fluorescent grow light. I will keep them there as long as they have some leaves, but I wonder how long it's going to take to start getting some roots? I hope they work out, because it would be wonderful to have five more of these vines!

I had my cuttings in water for about 5 months. Patience is the key. I hope you took your cuttings from the sturdy, woody party of the plant. If they are young they tend to rot more easily. If you look on the gallery side I posted a picture of myself with my Bees Jubilee that I rooted in the water and then potted up, and it has one bloom.

Last April, I accidentally cut off the stem of my favorite Integrifolia. I placed this in water in a clear glass vase by a sunny window

Today, I saw a quarter inch root growing near the bottom of the stem.

It works!

Thank you, Dawn, for posting your experience.

Hi Dawn and All!

Have lurked on a few occasions and like "carefreeplants" I accidentally broke a stem on new growth Jackomani within the past few weeks, possibly just about three.

I placed a cutting in water and when I looked this afternoon I had a blister like growth beginning. I have this same growth that comes on Dahlia cuttings that I place in water also and eventually within a short period of time they produce a root system.

I also find that if a root system doesn't happen and the blister like growth gets larger, I then place the cutting in a growing medium with success.

This was my first experience at taking a Clematis cutting (albeit by accident) and I came to the Forum by means of some excitement hoping to find some cutting info.

Almost needless to say, thanks to you, "lo and and behold Dawn".

I will point out my cutting as well as the cuttings I take from my Dahlias are all done in the basement with fluorescent lighting. Obviously much cooler with very little evaporation.

Dawn thanks again for all the info and the input from others.

Jim

Carefreeplants - are you saying that you had your cutting in water for over a year? Or over a month?

Cats39 - I have a Josephine I accidentally broke and I have it in water. I tried last year, but it was in the fall and it seems the best cuttings are from this time of year. That's great news about yours. Good luck and keep us posted.

Dawn thanks for giving us all hope on rooting out cuttings.

Maureen

Maureen,

The cutting is just over a month. I have just taken a look at it and the initial root is now 2 inches. A second one has grown, and is now about 1/2 half inch long.

About 3 weeks ago, I also have another broken branch from another Clematis which I stripped off all leaves. Last week, it began to grow some green on one of its nodes, which is now about half inch long. No roots on this one yet, though.

Both stems are Integrifolias. Maybe it is easier with them.

Carefree...

Hi Again!

I did fail to point out that my cutting although having the blistered effect and unlike Dawn's photo showing roots that appear to about 2" long, I have an over 3/4" to 1" shoot coming from one side and another shoot about the same size as pictured in Dawn's cutting 1/16" from the other node.

And this has been in just a little over a 3 week period.

I'm almost tempted to go out for more cuttings, just to see what happens. But I'm going to wait and see what the results are from this one first?

Hi All!

Just thought I'd follow up by saying that the clematis in water cutting was a great success. It did grow a root system and was put in soil in a peat container last week so I can watch the moisture. I've placed it in a rock garden under a tree and it's doing fine. I'm just waiting for a little more root growth.

I think I'll pot this one up and bring indoors in the Fall just to experiment.

I also have a question. I'd like to take a cutting from a Jackomani. My question is this? I have 2 plants. One is much stronger and growing more prolific than the other. Would it matter what plant I took the cuttings from?

Thanks in advance/Jim

Hi Cats39:
I think you should take your cutting from the strongest stem.
Dawn

Where is the gallery? I can't find the pictures

There isn’t a gallery. Photos are now posted directly to the thread. This thread is so old (12+ years) that some of the photos are no longer available because of changes in website hosting and because folks may have removed the photos from the original site.

Now if you want to add photos to a thread, you use the photo button at the bottom of the comments box to upload directly from your hard drive.