| I have some ivy clippings that I took from the other ivies in our house and they are not doing well. The leaves are turning brown and the stem seems to be rotting, I am keeping them in bottles with the bottom of the stem in water. I would like to know what I can do to save these and if there are any tricks to avoid the problem next time. |
| Ivy cuttings may be successfully rooted in water. It sounds like your cuttings may be suffering from a decay organism. You may need to discard this group as it is probably past saving. Start again with a clean container and fresh water. Take cuttings that are not too tender and succulent. Semi-hardwood cuttings work best. These are taken in the section of vine between the tender, succulent tissues near the tip and the woody older section toward the base. Semi hardwood tissue seems to callous and root better. Some people have good luck with a pinch of rooting hormone disolved in the water or by using willow water. This is a homemade solution made by collecting shoots from a willow tree, cutting them in to 6" lengths and soaking a handfull of them for a day in a quart of water. Next, remove the willow shoots and use the water to root cuttings. Try it and see how it works for you. |
