They root better in GREEN?

16 years ago

I never discover anything new, and this has probably been noticed before.

I have experimented water rooting plants with remarkably varying results. Plants rooted in GREEN containers root MUCH faster.

I have experimented with H. Lacunosa, H. Bella, H. Multiflora and H. Pubicalyx. Some other plants I have tried are Jasmine Sambac and Stephanotis. Stephanotis fans know this plant is a very slow rooter. I have had Stephanotis cuttings take over six months to root. The Stephanotis results are what prompted this post.

About three months ago I had to cut back my Stephanotis after the plant got totally out of hand. When the pruning was done, I had perhaps 100 cuttings. Dropped one bundle in an old green depression glass pitcher, 4 more batches in clear spaghetti jars. (That's right, I don't make sauce from scrath). When I was refilling the jars, I noticed a root on the bottom of the pitcher. I then examined the cutting and 13 of them had roots. 6 more had the white callas that forms just before the roots. These other six sprouted roots within a few more weeks. As of this morning there is but ONE of the perhaps 70 cuttings left in clear glass that has rooted.

I have since experimented with the Hoyas. The cuttings in green will have 1" - 2" roots and ready to be planted before those in clear even start rooting. The rooting containers were kept side by side, exactly the same.

Jasmine was another remarable difference. I had to cut back a large plant, and had perhaps 50 cuttings. I cut down a green 2 liter plastic bottle. Presto, they ALL rooted before the ones in clear even started. I then placed a drop of green food coloring in the water of the yet unrooted cuttings and they rooted before the others left in clear.

Has anyone else noticed this? I seem to remember reading a few years back that Deb rooted hers in dark glass. I tried in brown, but did not notice much difference from clear. I had a mulltiflora cutting rot in brown.

Featured Answer

Johana Ciske

5 years ago

Bumped this up because I recently rooted several cuttings myself. I lumped several cuttings into 2 containers, one was GREEN, the other clear. ALL the cuttings in the green container rooted vigorously and quickly and they are just now starting to root in the clear container despite the fact the containers were right next to each other and under the exact same conditions. Thought the info was worth passing along to those who water root.

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Comments (12)

canttype
16 years ago
Well! That is very interesting, I thought everyone made their sauce from scratch LoL! Sorry but I couldn't resist!

I'm gonna have to find some green jars for rooting.

Thanks for the tip:-)
Diane
pirate_girl
16 years ago
Hi Felicia,

What an interesting post. I have no green jars & am suspicious of olive oil that comes in green bottles (what are they trying to hide?), so I only have clear jars & bottles. HOWEVER, the drop of green food coloring sounds like the experiment for me! What a fascinating idea, faking the cutting out like that.

I've been lusting over Stephanotis for a LONG time & would like to try some that started small (those I see for sale once in a blue moon are too large for me). Any chance any of those Steph cutting still need a home? I'd swap some Hoya for it if you know what Hoyas in particular you'd like?
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felicianyz5
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Pirate:

You may have several rooted cuttings! Stephanotis is a hard one to figure out. Once established they grow like gangbusters. Rooting is a challenge and then, after planting they sit for months on end just thinking about growing a few new leaves. Even when they grow a few leaves you can lose them. Send me an email, I will have them off to you, likely this week, if not next week for sure. I work 8-4:30, hard to hit the PO! Do you want an established bella plant or rooted Lacunosa cuttings (also free)? Figured since I am mailing anyway.....
nazanine
16 years ago
Some plants need light for rooting, others root better in the dark. It is not impossible that Hoyas fall in the second category.
Some years back Lesli had posted a similar post and had suggested that they (hoyas) root better in beer bottles. After that post many ppl tried to root, and they had success. I used the beer bottle to root Cissus discolor cuttings (which is known to be a hard one to root) and all cuttings rooted like ivy would.
So yes, green, brown, black,etc. works fine so long as it eliminates some light!
GrowHappy
16 years ago
Hi Felicia,

How long did it take for your Jasmine to root via this method? What about when you added the green food coloring?

Thanks,
GH
felicianyz5
Original Author
16 years ago
Some of the Jasmine rooted within a week, every single cutting within 3 weeks, 100%. The ones in clear are starting to root, but only 2 or 3 have, and it has been a month or so. The ones that rooted with the green food coloring added had already been in clear for a week or so. They rooted within a week after the color was added.
mairzy_dotes
16 years ago
Yes, I too noticed they root better in colored bottles. I have used brown (like the dark beer bottles and vanila bottles for little ones). I have not tried green. I wonder if there is a difference between green or brown?
Marcy
pirate_girl
16 years ago
I DO remember this rooting in colored bottles discussion when ODeb mentioned it. I HAD tried it at the time w/ a brown bottle (I think it was brown). All I got was rot & I'm usually pretty good w/ water rooting plants (especially Hoya cuttings, except for the stubborn ones who won't oblige).

But guess what? I greened my cups of cuttings last nite, just one drop of food coloring & they certainly got green. Will be cool to see the results.

Thanks, Felicia for getting me going on this. Yes, to your offer of Stephanotis (& the others too if you can spare them). I'll try to EM ya tomorrow nite or Fri, but DO hope you'll accept some Hoya (crassipes) in exchange.

You lovely, generous person you - just terrific of you to offer such abundance & generosity. We'll 'speak' more in private.

PS: My Hoyas seed sprouted in 5 days, no bottom heat, no lights, how cool is that, think I'm a little excited abt this? Yippeeeee!

(PG) Karen
HU-748672964
2 years ago
Hi. I talked to a horticulturist once who told me that plants grow better when the light on them is a green or blue tint.... ( as in a clear blue or green plastic which would filter and color the light reaching the plants). So, the green jar which filtered the light to the roots would make sense too. Maybe that is why greenhouses are sometimes a green color.
Sans2014
2 years ago
Karen, hope you see this updated post, what did your food coloring test reveal?
stacy_hikari
2 years ago
i have a few colored jars and find red & purple work better than green, but green is better than light blue or clear

They root better in GREEN?

Johana Ciske

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