I took this cutting from my Philodendron 'Fuzzy Petiole' a couple weeks ago and their roots are developing well. I know it's not quite ready but does anyone have any advice on exactly when/ how I should go about transferring it to soil? I also want to get it on a moss pole eventually. Should I put it straight from the water to the moss pole? It's my first time working with cutting from this plant so any help is appreciated!
I too would like to know! I’ve been growing a monkey mask, begonia, and mini monstera in water for months now and wondering if it’s too late for a soil transfer. I think I read something about lyca beads being a good aquaponic medium 🤔
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it’s honestly never too late to transfer! in fact the longer the better really. some say “until the root have roots” if that makes sense. basically you want a really robust root system before transferring to soil because it can send it into shock and without the proper support system it might struggle.
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i highly recommend transitioning to semi-hydro like leca, pon, pumice, or perlite, before soil. water roots are delicate, weak, and soft, so the transition to soil can be rough for water-rooted plants. if your plant has to push through a water-retentive media instead of plain water while growing new roots it will strengthen the root system and allow the plant to adjust to some level of drought, eventually easing the transition to soil or soilless media.
3 likes i disagree that longer is better when it comes to leaving plants rooting in water before planting in soil. to a certain extent, more roots can ease the transition as there’s a greater chance of enough roots surviving without rotting or drying up during the transition. however, a plant that has spent years growing in water and is moved straight to soil will likely lose most of its root system to rot in the soil since water roots are so soft and prone to fungal infection when planted right in soil. i’ve found about 2” of roots is ideal for planting in soil or soilless media without a semi-hydro in-between stage, but i still always recommend rooting plants in a water-retentive media instead of water alone as it will produce a more robust root system from the beginning.
4 likesBrilliant advice, much appreciated!
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you should move it to soil when the roots are about an inch long
1 likeThanks for all the tips!
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