On 8/1/2014 1:13 AM, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 31/07/2014 16:00, David E. Ross wrote:

Plants rooted in water often fail to do well when moved to pots. The
root hairs are severely damaged when suddenly packed into soil. Certain
plants will survive and even thrive if left growing in water;

Your reply make me think about this. You are quite right about failure
to move from a liquid to a solid growth medium. I wondered if it was
possible to have the best of both worlds - effectively root the plant in
waterlogged compost, and once rooted, allow the water to drain away.
Little if any root disturbance takes place, and the gentle transition
from wet to normal compost might allow the plant to adapt. Have you ever
tried anything like this?


The cutting is likely to rot if the medium is waterlogged. A 50%-50%
mix of coarse sand and peat moss drains very well and will remain quite
moist without becoming soggy. The moisture will remain available to the
cutting until the mix is almost bone dry. In the meantime, air can
enter the mix; and roots -- new or old -- do need air in the soil.

I never add any nutrients to the rooting mix because they can promote
mold and other forms of rot.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary