Philodendron – Rooting in Water

Q: I was pruning one of my philodendrons before putting them in the greenhouse for the winter. My wife found one of the leaves and put it in a glass with water. Now, here it is with a decent root structure.

A: Not all plants will form roots in water but many do. But the roots of plants propagated in water are different from those that form when a cutting is rooted in soil. The “water roots” seem to be more brittle. However, if you are careful, you can move your rooted leaf to a 4″ pot filled with soggy potting soil and use a piece of thin bamboo to hold it steady. New soil-loving roots will form in a couple of weeks if you keep the cutting in a sunny warm window.