potting up rooted coleus - Ask Extension
Hi, I have an indoor garden project with seniors. I'm having them pot up coleus that I rooted. My question is how deep to pot the rooted stem. I put ...
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potting up rooted coleus #891341
Asked January 07, 2025, 10:53 AM EST
Hi, I have an indoor garden project with seniors. I'm having them pot up coleus that I rooted. My question is how deep to pot the rooted stem. I put cuttings about 6 inches in water and only the bottom inch or so has rooted. They will want to bury the whole stem so it doesn't look like a stalk of celery poking out of the soil. Will the stem that doesn't have the roots rot if they put it in the soil? Thanks.
County
Washtenaw County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Kathy,
That sounds like a great project for seniors. The best way to propagate a stem is to use a rooting media that has a good balance of water and air-holding capacity such as perlite, sand, sphagnum peat moss, and others. Water is not the best rooting media. The following is a quote from an article by Iowa State Extension:
While several species will readily root in a glass of water, the roots that form are more coarse in texture and not as well adapted to growing in regular potting soil. This means that once cuttings rooted in water are planted in potting soil, they may show signs of stress, such as wilting, leaf drop, browning of the leaves, or tip die-back. Providing good consistent care will help the small propagules recover after planting.
See the complete article for great information on successfully rooting your plants.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-propagate-houseplants-stem-tip-cuttings
I would suggest trimming the roots to 1 inch and using one of the recommended soils for potting (see the article above). Be sure to remove excess leaves (see the article) and insert the stem in a pot, probably up to the "B" level or a little above. I have also found it helpful to insert the plant into a plastic zip-lock baggie and set it on a sunny windowsill. This creates its own greenhouse, but you must check occasionally for moisture build-up. If that happens, you would have to open the baggie to get rid of the excess water.
I hope this helps, but make sure to read the article above. If you have questions or need more information, please don't hesitate to contact us again.
Have a great New Year!
That sounds like a great project for seniors. The best way to propagate a stem is to use a rooting media that has a good balance of water and air-holding capacity such as perlite, sand, sphagnum peat moss, and others. Water is not the best rooting media. The following is a quote from an article by Iowa State Extension:
While several species will readily root in a glass of water, the roots that form are more coarse in texture and not as well adapted to growing in regular potting soil. This means that once cuttings rooted in water are planted in potting soil, they may show signs of stress, such as wilting, leaf drop, browning of the leaves, or tip die-back. Providing good consistent care will help the small propagules recover after planting.
See the complete article for great information on successfully rooting your plants.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-propagate-houseplants-stem-tip-cuttings
I would suggest trimming the roots to 1 inch and using one of the recommended soils for potting (see the article above). Be sure to remove excess leaves (see the article) and insert the stem in a pot, probably up to the "B" level or a little above. I have also found it helpful to insert the plant into a plastic zip-lock baggie and set it on a sunny windowsill. This creates its own greenhouse, but you must check occasionally for moisture build-up. If that happens, you would have to open the baggie to get rid of the excess water.
I hope this helps, but make sure to read the article above. If you have questions or need more information, please don't hesitate to contact us again.
Have a great New Year!
