Hi everyone,

One of my cuttings roots really fast - I noticed the first root 9 days after putting it in soil. Now, I'm growing it a transparent container and some roots can already be seen at the edges. Are roots sensitive to light (indirect sunlight)? should I cover it somehow?

When I use transparent deli cups, and the roots start clinging to the side of the cup, I wrap aluminum foil around the cup to protect the roots from the damaging effects of the sun.

thanks. maybe next time I won't use a transparent container...

I've used both transparent and opaque rooting containers. I far prefer the transparent - so much easier to see what is going on.

Like Vince, I also cover my clear containers with foil when moving them into a sunny location. Quite easy to do, and the foil can be recycled.

Good to know :)

Roots are very sensitive to light.  They will survive for a few weeks to a few months with exposure but if that exposure is prolonged they will callous over and lose the ability to uptake nutrients and water.  You'll notice that when you see exposed roots on trees above ground where there used to be ground they're always calloused over like they're just part of the trunk.  The reason for this is that the Calvin cycle in which roots do most of their expansion is severely hindered by the presence of light.  That quick burst of root expansion you see right when the cuttings begins to stabilize will come to a screeching halt when they reach transparent edges with light leakage.  

In short, no light.  I keep my clear cups in a second opaque cup so I can lift them out and see roots when I want but keep them obscured from light at all other times.  The best of both worlds!

Clear cups with a matching colored cup works great, lasts forever and keeps the gnats out of your holes :)

KK and Greg have it covered

I you "need" to watch the roots grow, then keep the transparent cup, and cover. Like KK, I just use an opaque cup outside the clear fup.

Here's one pix with rooted cuttings inside:

Thanks everyone, I've wrapped it with aluminium foil (I'm not using a cup and I couldn't find an opaque container big enough to hold the transparent one).

@OctopusInc - that's good to know! I indeed noticed that the root - which was growing very fast - almost stopped growing once it reached the side. I guess I'll just have to resist my curiosity :) I reckon I'll transplant it in a few weeks.

By the way, I'm using the method shown here with my cuttings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz8vhx20mVE
Has anybody tried it? It seems to be working splendidly.