I've tried many times to get cuttings to sprout in water. They just get slimy. What can I do to have some luck?
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You need to change the water daily. Once roots come, you should use rooting hormone and pot it up.
An important point is NOT to use tap water. I've been using left over water from water bottles and it has made a tremendous difference. I also use a clear glass vase or cup.
A lot of cuttings don't need to be started in water. Things like wandering jew and baby (or mouse-ear) jew can be stuck in the dirt and will grow just fine. I have purple jew ground-cover growing outside that I started from one cutting over 5 years ago, and it freezes and comes back every year.
I will start ivy in water, but like Judy says, water should be changed every day. I've found that sweet potato vines will grow if I just stick them in the dirt, either outside or in a pot. I even found a small sweet potato growing in a pot in my kitchen a few weeks ago. We used to put sweet potatoes in water to make a plant, but now if a sweet potato sprouts, I'll cut off the sprouts and put them in dirt.
What kind of plants are you starting?
I start spider plants in water. They stay in it for a few days until the roots sprout and then go into dirt that gets watered daily. This short time the water does not get slimy.
Kalanchoes on the other hand, I root directly into dirt and water them daily. They don't seem to root well for me in water.
African violets get set up in a special water rooting method with saran wrap and water changed every couple of days until they root.
Philodendren and pothos can be rooted either way.
The trick when using water rooting is, when you change the water, to wipe out the container and dry it before adding the fresh water. The only time I get slime is when I don't do this.
Happy rooting!
If you are trying to root cuttings in water the process isn't that necessary now. You can use some florist foam to put the cutting in. You will cut a small square of the foam and inset the cuttings in the foam. Now you just sit this in a small dish with some water in the dish.
As soon as you see the root start, it's ready. Also if it takes longer, freshen the water!
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