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What's the best way to move plants rooted in water to soil?

eileenlynch
15 years ago

I LOVE the idea of rooting things in water, but a few times I tried this and got roots, but the plants perished when I moved them to a pot. Could someone give me a few pointers on what I might have done wrong. Many thanks. Eileen

Comments (25)

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    15 years ago

    Partially fill the pot with your mix, hold your rooted plant by the foliage and keep the roots just on the top of the soil. While holding in this position add more soil to the level desired. Lightly firm the soil. Set the pot in a bath of slightly warm water about halfway up the pot. Leave until the surface of the soil glissons from the water. Remove pot and put in shady area for a few days. Al

  • madrone
    15 years ago

    The info Calistoga provided is very good. If you don't succeed doing it this way, try dipping the delicate roots into a thin mud slurry first before inserting in the soil. This apparently protects the thin plant hairs. You might also try just gently sprinkling the soil over the roots and not tamping it down, and then misting the soil thoroughly to prevent the roots from breaking off. Make sure you keep them in shade or cover them with a plant propagator hood for the first few days to keep the humidity high.

  • eileenlynch
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Many thanks for these suggestions! I think my main problem may have been not getting adequate moisture to the newly transplanted roots. I will hope for better success with these new ideas.

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    15 years ago

    I rarely do any rooting in water but I use bubba62's procedure if I want to plant one in soil that has been rooted in water.

  • fish_4_all
    15 years ago

    Hope you don't mind eileenlynch but I have a Q for Bubba:
    When you root in vermiculite/perlite mixture how do you transfer them to the soil? Is this used to help establish better roots or for some other reason?

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    It is used to keep contaminates out of the soil that could harm the plant in the process. Once it is established, then introducing full soil is appropriate as now the plant can protect itself better.

    I root in homemade soil that includes compost, which has worked well overall for me, but I fully understand that others don't want to take even a small chance that their soil might introduce something bad to an unestablished plant. Some actually bake their soil first to kill everything in it, good or bad. I think you should try different things and find what works best for you. That's what I decided to do!

    Blessings,
    Angela

  • Jema90
    11 years ago

    Hello,

    im looking for a little advise, i have recently took some willow cuttings and rooted them in water, i would like to know how would be best to move them into soil as i am a little worried the roots are a little delicate. also the top of the clipping has gone a little brown will this stop them growing right would i be best to clip it off to where it is all green.
    thank you if you can provide some advise for me

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Jema, hi & welcome to Gardenweb.

    If you start a new discussion (and preferably add a pic of your plant,) your question should be noticed more easily/quickly and get the most appropriate responses.

  • Jema90
    11 years ago

    hello, purpleinopp, thank you for your advise,

    i think i have sorted it now potted them in soil and new leaves are growing already. i will try this though as i feel all the advise i can get on this will help to get them growing big and strong :) x

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Sounds great, fun!

  • heleng2012
    9 years ago

    Thanks Bubba 62. The information was very helpful.

  • ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
    9 years ago

    how moist do you keep the soil after you move the water-rooted plant into soil?
    I am thinking I should keep it more moist than I normally would.
    The plant in question is Apple Mint.
    thank you.

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't make it any moister than normal. When I worked at a garden center in Vero Beach, Fl we only rooted in soil and the cuttings did fine. i do root African violets in water, but that's about it. Soil roots are stronger than water roots.

  • April Dawn
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    My issue has been such a difficult question still unanswered for the most part. I have an Arrowhead vine clipping, three stems, very healthy and with water propagated roots as long as it's stems and leaves (approx 10 -12 inches), covered in fine hairs. This start was given to me in a vase, where it remains thriving in water, but I was advised that this plant likes to be planted in soil, moderate moist soil, and good light. How would I go about transplanting to soil with this type of plant/root system?? Please help!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    8 years ago

    April, trim the roots to a manageable length, then pot up according to the good directions in the previous posts.

  • Phylis
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Quoting LeafEricson from the Pepper Forum -

    Hydro to soil or vise versa can be a difficult task, a simple way to avoid problems is to treat the plant as if it was a cutting/clone. Immediately after transplant place a clear plastic bag with a few holes in it over the plant, after a few days make some more holes in the bag and so on until there is no difference between having the bag on or off.


    This method of keeping a higher humidity works very well and you should do fine.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    8 years ago

    If it's thriving, it doesn't need to be moved to soil just because someone said so.

  • ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
    8 years ago

    I am in the process of transplanting my water-rooted lavender to soil.

    I am using a combination of the methods described above + one other which I can't find, or I'd link to.

    I add wet soil to the container (wet so that the soil doesn't rise to the surface.) I add some pebbles to keep the soil down. The article that I can't find said to use soil withOUT fertilizer bec the fertilizer could burn the roots, but all I had when I decided to start this project, was soil with fertilizer, so that is what I'm using.

    The article said to daily pour out a little water, and add more wet soil. I am doing this every other day to give the roots more time to change over.

    It has been about 6 days -- so far so good.

    The method says after a week, see if the roots are rooted in soil, and if they are take the whole thing out and put in container with soil.

    I will let you know how it goes.

    appreciate all the advice given above.

  • sammiemarie818
    7 years ago

    Hi just a quick question...

    I recently put a pathos cutting in water....on 4/20 he (I named him Planti) will be a month and his roots are getting long...I was curious on how I should transfer him to soil. Also what soil do i use? This is my first plant...I've only ever cared for my bamboo (Lucki).

  • Brad Meyer
    5 years ago

    I put Rose of Sharon Hibiscus cuttings in water and added potting soil until I had a slurry with no large pockets of water. Just over 2 months later I had leaves on all of my cuttings. I plan to let the cuttings grow in that jar in my house as a house plant.


  • Hugo Carlos
    5 years ago

    What I often times do is to grind down charcoal to small pieces (not briquettes, which have artificial binders). I use it along with vermiculite in a cleat plastic cup filled with water. The roots basically grow in water and around the vermiculite/charcoal. When I can see enough roots on the sides of the cup, I transfer the whole content to a whole in a pot with soil. I might add some soil to the carcoal/vermiculite mix. The vermiculite and charcoal will keep the roots moist and the new roots will grow into the soil naturally adapted to this new condition.

  • Cal
    3 years ago

    I was wondering this recently too. This article explains it pretty well! Basically it depends on the type of plant.

    https://houseandsprout.com/water-roots-to-soil-roots/

  • Abhilasha Singh
    3 years ago

    I am trying out a new way by moving the rooted plant from water to a very small paper box holding soil. I will let my plant grow more root in the tiny box and then move it to bigger pot. That way I won't worry about over or under watering.

  • Neil Griffin
    last year

    I believe that method is called displacement. When you replace the water with soil so thar the roots acclimate

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