Roots on Roots

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Herbs that have fleshy roots or that tend to produce suckers are good candidates for this kind of propagation.

Into a mix

Weeds obviously root perfectly well in ordinary garden soil, but the ideal rooting medium for more challenging plants combines good drainage with good moisture-holding ability—qualities that may not be present in your garden soil. Equal parts of peat and sand, vermiculite and perlite, or peat and perlite are commonly used soilless potting media that drain well yet hold moisture. I have tried them all, with varying degrees of success.

If you want to root a lot of cuttings at once, select a flat that is a little deeper than they are tall. If you are rooting only a few large cuttings, you may wish to place them in individual pots. This will also save one step in transplanting after they root.

You may place roots in the container vertically, diagonally, or horizontally. If you lay them horizontally, you won’t need to worry about which end is which, and you can use a shallower container than you’d need if you oriented the roots diagonally or vertically. On the other hand, horizontal cuttings occupy more surface area, which may be a consideration if you have very limited space for this project and want lots of new plants.

Fill the container to within 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the top with dampened rooting medium. Place the cuttings in neat rows in whichever orientation you choose. You don’t need to poke holes for the vertical and diagonal pieces unless they are quite thin, nor do you need to use a rooting hormone. Fill the rest of the container with dampened medium, covering the root pieces.

Vegetative propagation using root cuttings is an especially useful method for increasing prized cultivars or hybrids that don’t come true from seed.

Time to grow

If you take cuttings in the fall, you may place the filled flat in a cold frame or cool porch for the winter. Don’t expect to see any top growth until spring. Alternatively, you may bring the flat indoors and keep it in a warm spot or on a heating cable. Top growth may begin in a few weeks, and you will then need to transplant the cuttings to pots and keep them indoors until spring. Keeping them outside is a lot less bother.

Flats of cuttings taken in spring may be placed in the shade and kept moist but not wet. They should begin to show top growth in three weeks to two months.

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