Meet Ella, my dwarf umbrella tree! Received her as a cutting in October and have had her in water with rooting drops. And WOW. They delivered. She seems ready for soil but I’ve taken out SEVERAL (Pothos) cuttings 🫣transplanting from water to soil so… I need your help. What can I do to improve her chances of success? Thoughts on soil/substrate? Process? Really want her to thrive 🌱 any pro tips appreciated!! TIA
Before I forget, give those leaves a nice gentle dusting. Six months is a relatively long time for water propagation, though not uncommon. The longer the roots are growing full time in the water, the more they almost mutate to acclimate as a water root plant. If the roots have become extremely long, tangled, or started to turn mushy/brown, it has been in water too long and is at high risk for rot. You look like you have some long healthy roots, with smaller roots coming off those, which is typically when you should transplant anyway. The leaves look healthy too. Since it is now April, we are entering the active growing season and it’s the absolute best time to transition. The plant has more natural energy now to grow the new "soil roots" it needs to survive. It’s important to understand that you will need to help your plant bridge the gap between "water roots" and "soil roots." Water roots are thinner and more fragile because they don't need to push through the dense soil/substrate to find moisture. Moving them straight into dry soil can cause immediate transplant shock. Maybe why you’ve lost prior plants? Ironically putting a pothos cutting in with any propagation will improve its growth! You have 2 choices. Option One - Use a very small pot to start. Use a light soil mixture that stays airy even when wet. A blend of 60% potting soil and 40% perlite or pumice is ideal. Don’t clump the roots together, try to spread them out as best you can. Try to moisten the soil so it’s damp but not dripping. For the first 2-4 weeks, the soil should stay more moist than you would keep an established plant to mimic the aquatic environment the roots are used to. Put it in a bright place but not scorching sun, and wait at least a month to fertilize. If it starts wilting or yellowing, try misting, a pebble tray underneath, or a ziploc bag over the top to increase humidity (give it a 5 to 10 minute break per day if you do that, and try not to have the leaves touching the bag). Option 2 - Another option people use is to gradually add dirt to their water container. If it’s a very delicate plant that seems fragile or sensitive, or an expensive princess plant - lol - I’d go this route. You may want to do this for your plant since it has been in water for so long. Use your main jar or any container that fits that root ball comfortably: 1) Place the plant back into the container with just enough water to cover the roots. 2) Add a couple tablespoons of potting soil today and stir it gently with a chopstick or spoon. 3) Every 3 days, add another 2 tablespoons of soil. 4) Once it looks like thick muddy slush and the water is gone (usually in 10–14 days), move the whole "mud ball" into its permanent pot. It should have really good drainage since this variety is known to experience root rot. 5) You will likely need to water every 3–4 days. As you see new growth—which indicates the roots have successfully adapted to soil—start to space out your waterings. After a month you should hopefully be on a more mature plant watering schedule where you can check the soil’s dampness like an adult plant.
1 Like Wow, thank you for taking the time to walk me through all that including the details on repot options. So thorough and exactly what I guidance I’ve been hoping for pray 🙏
1 Like I’ve heard about the gradual soil adding method but wasn’t sure how it worked. Given my poor luck with shock to soil, I think I’ll give that method a go. Again, really appreciate your help. May good planta karma rain down on you!
1 Like And yes! I need to clean some leaves 🫣🍃 thx for the reminder!
1 Like You are very welcome ☺️
1 Like Here’s mine (new gift) from 2024 and today. ☺️
One day! 🤞
1 Like