I received a beautiful monstera cutting from a friend and am trying to propagate it in water. I am a complete novice at this, and am wondering if it's ok that its 2 very long ~20" aerial roots are sticking well out of the water (see photos). Should I cut the roots down so they are completely submerged? Any and all advice greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Long aerial roots do not propagate as well as younger, shorter ones. Either submerge the full length of the roots in water or cut them off and let new roots emerge from the base node.

I have propagated several monsteras with far longer aerial roots than that, always with success! However, i've always had the aerial roots completely submerged

I know that water will work but I have always favored using some sort of very wet medium. Sand, peat moss and such. I'm thinking the new roots will later be better adapted to their new home (soil) that way. Gene

WillC said:Long aerial roots do not propagate as well as younger, shorter ones. Either submerge the full length of the roots in water or cut them off and let new roots emerge from the base node.

Thank you for the reply! If I decide to cut the roots, should I just cut the one or both?

misterisse said:I have propagated several monsteras with far longer aerial roots than that, always with success! However, i've always had the aerial roots completely submerged

Thank you for your reply. How did you manage to submerge the entire root? did you face the root up and therefore also submerge almost the entire stem? Or did you just find a very deep or wide bucket and have the root extending down or perpendicular to the stem? Sorry for these tedious questions -- I am worried about harming or breaking the roots by trying to wrangle them into water!

Do not worry so much about the present roots. Bend, break them. Plant will be fine. You are after new roots not pampering the old ones. Gene

I rooted one by just potting it in the soil it was to be grown in. Skipped the water.

WillC said:Long aerial roots do not propagate as well as younger, shorter ones. Either submerge the full length of the roots in water or cut them off and let new roots emerge from the base node.

Will is absolutely right, not that he needs my confirmation, but I learn from repetitive hard-headedness!

I kept trying to propagate older cutting with darn almost 3 inch long thick brown roots, they would rot before they would grow, I learned Will said to trim that long root back close to the node and it took 2 and 1/2 weeks but it finally rooted.

WillC said:Long aerial roots do not propagate as well as younger, shorter ones. Either submerge the full length of the roots in water or cut them off and let new roots emerge from the base node.

Will is absolutely right, not that he needs my confirmation, but I learn from repetitive hard-headedness!

I kept trying to propagate older cutting with darn almost 3 inch long thick brown roots, they would rot before they would grow, I learned Will said to trim that long root back close to the node and it took 2 and 1/2 weeks but it finally rooted.

The big bonus with all of this is that this is the same question I have been trying for 3 years to get a good and experienced answer to and Will finally made it happen.

I always skip the water. Have rooted probably 50 cuttings in the past. Right into moist soil mix is my method, like Gene. Rooting in water just produces some roots that will then have to go through another prices to adapt themselves to soil. Its better to skip that step IMO. This is my reward for skipping it

Tmgeis said:I received a beautiful monstera cutting from a friend and am trying to propagate it in water. I am a complete novice at this, and am wondering if it's ok that its 2 very long ~20" aerial roots are sticking well out of the water (see photos). Should I cut the roots down so they are completely submerged? Any and all advice greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi there! I see you posted this some years ago but hopefully you'll still receive this.
I am planting a syngonium with aerial roots, and many have told me not to submerge this kind of roots because they will rot.
Mine now are covered in some kind of cloudy-like substance. Did this happen to yours too?

bennib said:

Hi there! I see you posted this some years ago but hopefully you'll still receive this.
I am planting a syngonium with aerial roots, and many have told me not to submerge this kind of roots because they will rot.
Mine now are covered in some kind of cloudy-like substance. Did this happen to yours too?

Hey, Benni and all!
Benni, you left this message a few months ago, how is it looking now? I bought a whole plant today, but it looks so sickly that I'm thinking about cutting at least the top part and trying to propagate it. It has a few aerial roots to start with. But I think the previous owner didn't take a very good care of it. It has quite a few dry brown patches on the leaves and even on the leaf stems. The plant won't even sit in the pot (the mix it was planted in has some orchid mix, perlite and ceramsite), it kind of took the upper part of the pot with its' roots. My guess it's somewhat undernourished and dried out (we have a long and dark winter in Finland), the owner said she isn't using an air humidifier.
So, I'm thinking of what to do with it. Would love to hear what @gina1960 has to say about my issue Would appreciate any suggestions!

I plant cuttings with only adventitious roots all the time. They do not rot for me

Gina1960 said:I always skip the water. Have rooted probably 50 cuttings in the past. Right into moist soil mix is my method, like Gene. Rooting in water just produces some roots that will then have to go through another prices to adapt themselves to soil. Its better to skip that step IMO. This is my reward for skipping it

I know this is an old post but Gina I have read your numerous posts that have been so helpful I signed up so I can ask my own question. I have tried so many different ways of rooting monstera and most of the time I'm not successful. I made an aroid mix based on the recipe you provided in another post where someone was trying to save an albo from root for-mine still rotted. Sometimes I'm successful in rooting in water. I have never been successful rooting in soil. No matter how airy, how little I water or how much it either dries or rots.

I tried straight perlite I tried sphagnum (only time I'm successful in those is when I do it in a zip lock bag and that's also a 50:50 chance )

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong to be honest

I have one big cutting with double fenestration and a long, old aerial root. Previously when I put the aerial root in water like someone suggested it just rotted. Should I just bury it and hope for the best? Should I cut it off ? I really don't want to lose this one

I think so much of this has to do with where you live and your conditions. What works routinely and without thought almost for me, may not work for others. It would never be a situation for me to try and root something in my house. I also really shy away from propagating and getting new things on winter, which we are heading into now. This isn;t really the growing season anymore. Light is at a premium, its not as warm, or as humid.

A photo of your root/plant would be helpful. But, again, any advice I have to offer, YOUR mileage may vary