Most of my cuttings are taking off really well - lots of roots, leaves and even figlets (which I removed). However, I have a bunch of other cuttings that are rooting almost too well. There are roots up the entire length of the cuttings, top to bottom. No greenery, just roots.

Any suggestions as to how to continue with these? Would I cut them up and plant them completely covered? Or do you pick roots off the top and plant the bottom half?

Right now, some look like I could bury them horizontally and create a bonsai forest. It's exciting, just threw me for a loop as I had not encountered that previously.

John
Zone 7 NC

I had similar situation with a mission cutting with roots starting at the top and a shoot at the bottom end and then some roots covering the rest of the cutting. I potted it horizontally and now I have two shoots a few inches apart. I will leave it like this and in a couple of months time cut it into two separate plants. I just want to make sure that both shoots will have enough roots to make two viable plants.

John, I've had two different one this year that did something like you say. One wrapped in a paper towel in a baggie formed roots from one end to another. It looked like a hairy worm with some of the roots 3" long. The cutting was a large one, about 3/4" diameter, and was really old and gnarly. I could not make out the top from the bottom, which usually is easy. Since I didn't know which way was up I planted it horizontal in a plastic dish 12" long by 3" wide that had a clear lid to it. Something that a store bought hot dog might come in, if you can imagine. The roots grew to fill the container both above and below the soil. The ones above slowly dried up but they continued to come up. Finally after 6 weeks or so, it shot out a bud. It now has a branch about 2" long with 2 leaves. I have room for it to grow a little more, then I'll have to pot it up.

Second case almost like the first. It grew roots from top to bottom, but this time I knew which was the top. After I let the root grow way beyond what I should have, hoping it would throw a bud, I put it in a cup. I buried all of it except the top node. It grew roots to fill the cup but not one bud. Then one evening I was showing it to the wife declaring that I didn't think it would make it because it wasn't growing any buds and was using up all its stored energy growing roots. As I turned it slowly, about half way up the cup I saw something pale that wasn't a root. It was a bud that had grew to the edge of the cup. With a pair of scissors, I cut a slot from the top to just below the bud about 1" wide. The bud grew right on out and is doing well.

You just never can tell, especially with older wood. If I get a chance I'll get picture of them to post.
"gene"

Ones with lots of roots are perfectly good. pot them up, and start introducing them to the outside world, some filtered shade and then some sun. They will come to life. Do not over water. They do not need as much water as a plant which can lose moisture through the leaves. Roots without leaves is a better outcome than leaves without roots.

Here are pictures of the two I spoke about in the first post.



Weeks later just when I was about to give up.



This one I put back into the baggie for a couple of weeks longer hoping it would grow a bud, but it didn't.



Here it is today at least 2 months after I put it to root.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Looks like I have some experimenting to do. Always fun.

John
Zone 7 NC