Please Help: Rootless

9 years ago

Hi there,

I've had my mother in law's tongue for a year now. Initially, I overwatered them and most of the leaves have fallen off with rotten roots. I've cut them and chuck them in a vase with water. A few of them have grown small roots but most of them haven't grown any. The bottom tips are also quite brown. I've tried propagating them onto soil and all of them just slowly dried out and rot. I also tried cutting the bottom of the leaves again and changing the water more often, a lot of them still haven't grown roots. I've attached photos. Please help

Cheers!!! x

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Comments (5)

Oyster
9 years ago
A few key ingredients for successful propagation from leaf cuttings are moisture, air and a minimisation of microbial growth. These ingredients need to be balanced for quick development of roots. In my experience it takes longer for a leaf to form roots if it is propagated in only water. Probably due to the decreased air content and increased microbial growth. If we increase the air content of your propagation medium, roots will develop much faster. That’s why I always propagate in a mixture of turface and grit. It’s impossible to saturate this mixture with water, so it will always contain some air. This mixture also reduces quick development of microbial growth. Propagation in only water could take anything between day one until the microbial growth gets a hold and causes leaf rot. The key is to reduce microbial growth.
Karen S. (7b, NYC)
9 years ago
Will work better if you only use an inch of water, not a full cup or vase. I've done it both ways. I'd put the first one in soil already, that pup is more than ready. Also, stop changing the water, just add to it.
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Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
9 years ago
Oyster, wow, what an answer. Very impressed with how you put it. Karen grew sans in water many times but I was never successful with this method. If you could suspend the leaves just above the water line so only moist air could reach the leaves you would have more success. Using grit would be best method for long term growth. Remember these are succulents and too much water kill them. They came from an area that has very little water.
Oyster
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you very much for the kind words Stush. I have attached a photo of an example (Golden Hahnii) of what I am after. You can see how the substrate provides cavities with increased moisture. I've found that roots strike really fast this way. This cup has been watered 4 days ago. There is a hole in the bottom.
Sans2014
9 years ago
I have found that if the cutting doesn't die in the first 2 weeks then it will eventually root given enough time and good care. This is my personal axiom for both water rooting and soil rooting of Sansevieria.

Karen's advise on using only an inch of water is good advise. Provide the cuttings with warmth and bright light will speed up the process and yield a higher success rate.