no roots.. no sun.. for sure ...

otherwise... i think i would keep it in water.. until i saw the least suggestion of a root node.. and then pot it in damp media with a plastic bag ...

ken

Steve, that is most certainly a terrific piece for rooting! :-) I have grown roots on shoots with less than that and succeeded.

Slip it into water, just as it is, and watch the roots grow... I would recommend water depth to about half the height of the cataphyl. In about 5-10 days the shoot will have grown roots but I would recommend a longer water life for longer and additional roots.

Btw, what is the name of the plant this shoot came from? It’s nice!

“...then pot it in damp media with a plastic bag...”

I disagree with Ken’s suggestion re the plastic. Although I think that method is excellent for starting seedlings, I would not cover that rather large division with any plastic. It is not necessary.

Examples and pictures speak louder than words... so I will return with them. :-)

Thanks, I'll give it a shot in water. Its from Foxfire Palm Sunday.

Jo, I have two hostas that I dug up last night that are struggling. One is Jimmy Crack Corn. It has 2 small leaves and some roots and the other is Punky which has no leaves but roots. I potted them up thinking that was the best course of action but should I place them in water instead?

Here is the piece of Wheee! It is still in water growing more roots.

I have a really hard time throwing anything out, want to save anything from dying plus I love the challenge of improving a hosta’s (or any other perennial, especially heuchera) odds of survival.

Just a cautionary note: There is specific “after-care” for a plant (like BA above) that has been in indoors, growing in water for a prolonged period of time. A proper hardening off is necessary when introducing it to the outdoors once again.

Steve, you can expose your division to the normal conditions it would live under; that is, it can stay outside (in a jar or pail or whatever you choose)... in my opinion it does not need to be sheltered from the elements. I kept/keep my rooting pieces on my deck where the sun shines directly from sunup to around 2 pm. (Squirrels have been known to sniff around my garden so I have to keep root-growing divisions close to my kitchen door.)

Let us know how your division progresses in the next few weeks! :-)

no michelle ... if it has roots.. it goes in media or soil ... they are not aquatic roots ... you probably should have started your own pot.. including a pic of your plants ...

jo.... in general ..... long term water roots.. might have a hard time MIGHT have a hard time converting to soil/media roots ... BUT!!!! .. we are talking about hosta.. so.. just in case.. throw them on thedriveway for a few hours.. before you pot them up.. eh????

the bag.. i was thinking indoor procedure.. with the A/C making the air dryish .. but in hindsight.. i dont know why you would be doing this indoors in summer ....

i have also seen peeps just jam plants like this in damp media.. and they root ...

ken

Michelle, yes, I would hose root system off and place in water. A good (abundant) root system is key for any plant and the I feel that the best way to beef up a root system (in my experience) that is weak or suffering is to place the piece in water until it sprouts additional roots.

For me, potting up didn’t work as quickly and I lost one that way. The damp media, in my opinion, doesn’t deliver as quickly and it requires so much diligence. Rooting in water is the fastest and surest method for me. Currently I have a few plants in water that were dwindling in what I call the “cat zone”. Here is Rhino Hide with new roots..

Do you have pictures of JCC and Punky?

Ken, it is true, so many different methods work and you are right about the Hosta - it is almost invincible! You can probably drive right over BA’s roots while in the driveway and it will laugh right back at you!

My BA is still in water, indoors, because I have not gotten around to potting it up for my daughter as there is no hurry for her to look after it, lol. Kids...

Thanks for your response Jo. I don't have pics as potted them yesterday and today it is raining cats and dogs and is very cold. I also need to learn how to post pics to the forum.

Steve, FPS is a unique hosta - I like the darker green colour of yours. I don’t have one but have admired it since Vanessa posted hers a few years back. Haven’t really seen much of Foxfire Palm Sunday here.

I apologize for the length of my postings in answer to your question but felt my pictures would help support my findings regarding this topic.