Water Bottle Gardens

I want to see whether cuttings establish more rapidly in a gravel matrix, or just in plain water. I shall establish “rapidly” by a subjective view of the length of new roots over a period of four weeks, or so.

I am upset at the 1-gallon rectangular bottles that regularly choke up recycling bins.

I am also upset at the humans who bleat that “I kill every houseplant given to me”.

I suspect it is the same sort of humans who doesn’t think about nature in both cases.

Here’s the trick: Plants were surviving before the first self-propelled life form crawled the face of this planet. Let ‘em be. Don’t over-water them.

What better start than to plant cuttings in water bottles devoid of water!

As an experiment I garnered eight discards from the bins, stripped off the paper labels (into the vermicomposter with THEM!).

The four bottles on the right hold about one-centimeter of decorative white marble, I think, with some water added up to the level of the stone.

The four bottles on the left are empty.

In the middle a handful of eight cuttings taken this morning. Four of one type of philodendron, four of a second type.

I will set up two bottles of each type, some with gravel, some without.

Here is a cutting in a gravel-bottle.

I used a wooden spoon to nudge the stem close to the gravel.

My Theory is the rootlet stubs will seek out the water and begin to grow into the gravel.

Here is a cutting in a water-only bottle.

I used a wooden spoon to nudge the stem close to the bottom, and then add about a quarter-inch of water.

My theory is the rootlet stubs will seek out the water and begin to grow.

Once the roots are about three inches long, I shall add some gravel.

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