This subject has been covered over and over and over. Some thread include woody and non-woody plants, but a brief search of the forum will give you plenty of reading. Search for something like 'rooting water' or 'cuttings water'.

I'm actually a little surprised at how many people are so interested in how to do it the hard way. Rooting in water generally requires considerably more work and is almost always less successful for woody plants.

I don't get it, either, Brandon. It's a mystery to me.

I agree, but it occours over and over in this forum. I have even seen very well read gardeners trying it. for sure if it works with some woody plants it would be easier. It is less work to root a willow in a glass of water than a pot of soil, so if there are some others that are this easy, i would like to know.

It is less work to root a willow in a glass of water than a pot of soil,

Really? Indeed it very well might be but that just don't sound right to me.

Plants that are rooted in water require repotting into a solid medium, in order that they may eventually grow the kind of roots required to obtain water and soluble nutrients from SOIL, and to expel CO2 from root cells, while absorbing oxygen from the soil.

Thus, it really only makes sense, IF one is going to eventually grow the cutting in soil....to root it in soil. Rooting in water really and truly is not a shortcut.

another advantage to rooting in water is that you can cut multiple pieces, drop them in water, stick it on top of your fridge and watch them easily discarding those which dont root. eventually potting. willow is easy because they root so easily and with little care or attantion. Ialmost never root in 'soil' i either use a soilless medium, such as perlite, or a mix of other sterile matter, or something all togeather different such as rooting gel, or such. i suspect poplar and sambucus may work in water.

How much moisture do you keep in the soil, for rooting? saturated or the same as other potted plants? A glass of water seems more hassle-free.

"How much moisture do you keep in the soil, for rooting? saturated or the same as other potted plants?"

You want to keep the soil moist, but NOT saturated.

"A glass of water seems more hassle-free."

Not nearly. If you try a number of cuttings both way, I think you will agree that a glass of water is a lot more work and a lot less likely to produce good results. There's a reason the pros don't use glasses of water to propagate plants. If it was the best way, believe me, they'd be doing it.

Thankyou all, but the subject of this topic was which woody plants, like willow, WILL root readily in water, not weather it is the prefered method or not. I have propigated many cuttings the "professional" way, i just wanted to ask if anyone has had any experience rooting other woodies in a humble glass of water.
-not trying to be a jerk, just trying to focus the topic to what i intended to be a list of "easy to root in a glass" trees and shrubs.

To original poster: I found this link for you. It may help. Good luck :)

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8702.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting woody-plants

Thank you for the link annibelle. I have used this exact outline for years. It was one of the first websites on the matter i checked. I think I even still have a copy printed off somewhere. Perhaps Hydrangea species and cvrs. would work. I may have to expiriment with this on a large scale to get the answers I want though. I am more of a scientist than a nurseryman. I am interisted in the results not the most efficient way.

I accidentally rooted an entire bucket of willows one year.
I meant to bring them in the house for an arrangement.
I left them by my work bench and mother nature watered and
cared for them much better than had I been tending to them.
What a great surprise, actually it was several weeks later when I discovered them and was going to toss them, but...they were thriving, so I gave them a home in the soil where they have been happy since.
Happy accident!
Susan

I prefer to start willows and poplars in water. Starting in soil generally has a significantly lower success rate.

Ideally with both, I put them in a bucket of water in the shade, and check a couple times a week, potting them up when they show root nubs about 1/8" long.

Pussywillow in soil has about a 70% success rate. Which means with 500 #1 pots, I have 150 pots to pull out of the matrix, empty, clean, refill. By starting in water, the ones that don't sprout are chucked before I've done much work.

Balsam poplar is similar. I wanted about 30 large rooted whips this year, so I cut 60 5 foot whips in early spring, put them in water. A month later they had nubs, so I potted them up. Ended up with 34. The others never showed any sign of rooting.