this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2026
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Help diagnose this vine? (lemmy.today)
submitted 2 days ago by loopy@lemmy.today to c/greenspace@beehaw.org
12 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

https://i.postimg.cc/pTQLbmWq/IMG-3529.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/rmGwXDVx/IMG-3530.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/qRcvVNJ1/IMG-3531.jpg

I recently transplanted this vine and it seems to be struggling. This one had roots to start with, so should I put it in water first for a few days or straight into soil?

From what I have read, it does not need too much water and in fact should not be overwatered. I also saw that it does not prefer direct sunlight. The yellow on the leaves closer to the roots can mean overwatered but yellow in all leaves can mean malnourished. I pur it in new “moisture control” potting soil.

The burnt leaves can mean too much direct sunlight, so I moved it to a bookshelf away from the window, but that didnt seem like enough light.

I’m kind of at a loss here. Do I need to do something different or just give it time to heal from transplanting? Any insight is appreciated.

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[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do you have an idea of how much root mass there is? Too few roots and too much plant can lead to very harsh transplant shock, and the plant will abandon leaves and stem to rebalance itself. Best practice is to remove top growth when dividing to prevent the plant from going through enough shock to kill it (I run a small plant nursery and do lots of divisions).

I'd recommend removing it from the pot and substrate to place in water for a day or two - leave it somewhere without direct sunlight to help promote root growth over shoot growth. This will also give you an opportunity to gauge how much root mass there is compared to the rest of the plant. If they seem about even, don't worry about cutting the stem back. If there's more shoot than root, cut the stem back just above one of the leaf nodes.

Not to go overboard (too late?) but "moisture control" can apply to potting mixes that are high porosity (fast draining, low moisture holding) or those that have chemical wetting agents that hold water long after you've last applied any. If the moisture control stuff you got is from miracle gro I'd recommend taking some aside, placing it in a pot, and testing how long a given amount of water keeps it wet while you're rehabilitating your plant. This will give you better information to set your watering routine once your plant is happier. If it holds too much water you can increase the porosity and draining potential by mixing in some all purpose sand (not playground sand, it's too fine)

[–] loopy@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Thanks for the in-depth reply. I put it in some water and out of the direct sunlight. How can you tell if there is root rot? I’m guessing the moisture control soil must be the kind that retains, because I havent watered it for a few days but it feels slightly damp.

How can I tell if there is enough root to support the plant? And if I trim it back to a leaf node, do I include a leaf?

Here are some pictures of the root and leaf node: https://i.postimg.cc/CLKyzxD2/IMG-3572.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/m2KdBLS2/IMG-3573.jpg

[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh. Oh. That's just not enough roots for that much stem. Let's not be pessimistic though, because you have a lot of material to work with! It will take a few more days, but that's okay too.First, I'm going to give you a picture of what I consider a good start for a rooted division, so you know the kind of look you're aiming for at first.

You're going to want to make a few additional cuts to the stem, and a handful of leaves. The little brown nubs are root nodes - they are important, and you want at least two on every section you're about to make. Think of the sections of stem as energy reserves, and do your best to make them long enough to stick out of the jar. It's time to make more plants!

Get a sharp, sterile pair of garden shears. Starting from the rooted bit you have, find the first decent looking leaf. Cut the main stem right above where the leaf connects to it. Don't damage the part where the leaf connects to the stem, because that's where the rest of your new plant will come from at first. Now go further up the stem until you find another mostly green leaf, and cut just above that one too. Go up the stem til you get to the last good leaf. If you want more cuttings than that, select the best from what's left. Remember about stem length.

Now remove every leaf that isn't your topmost/ best of each cutting. Place all your new cuttings into the water jar and let them rest. You'll start seeing some roots start to form after a few days, but if you pull your original rooted section when you see the others that's what you'll be looking for on the ones that stayed in your jar.

There are some succulent-specific substrate mixes you can find at garden stores, or you can see if your locally owned greenhouse will let you fill a bin with some of their high porosity substrate for a few bucks. Either would be good to mix with the bag you already invested in in order to balance out the moisture when you plant all your cuttings. If you don't actually want that many, this is a good time of year (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) to donate the ones you don't want to a plant sale for a good cause; libraries, food charities, land trusts, and your master gardener volunteer chapters are some of the kinds of orgs you could consider.

[–] loopy@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

https://i.postimg.cc/jSnG8pgk/IMG-3578.jpg

Okay so what would you consider a good leaf? I drew lines where I guessed might be good to cut above. The red on is big and not completely yellow, the blue and purple ones look good but are somewhat close together. The purple one has a root nodule opposite of the leaf/stem connection and one more below it, opposite of the bad leaf I would prune below it, so it would have two nodules, but would it just be better to put the purple and blue together one one cutting? The orange one also has one node opposite and one node below it.

https://i.postimg.cc/kgRkj0YP/IMG-3579.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/GmTZMWg1/IMG-3580.jpg

Here is the other one I put in water right away and is doing better. How much do you let the roots grow before putting it in soil? And would you recommend changing the water every 1-2 days? It’s hard to know what advice to listen to.

[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The spots you picked to cut look good! I'd cut to favor blue, and let go of purple in favor of orange but great job. You can keep blue and purple on the same stem together, but if that pair look sad after a few days I'd recommend cutting across the leaves to remove 40-50% of each leaf. Doing that reduces the amount of water lost to respiration and the amount of leaf to maintain on reduced roots.

The ones you've rooted already look great. Another 2-3 days in water and they would be at a point where I would feel confident transferring them to potting soil. Keep in mind that those roots are delicate, so take care when you're firming them into the pot.

Water changes every 2-3 days is a good practice, more often if you notice any cloudiness in the water. The cuttings will release a little bit of rooting hormone into the water as they grow, spurring on the others, but not usually enough to change the appearance of the water.

[–] loopy@lemmy.today 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Would you say the red line leaf is worth trying to save with the rest of the sad roots it has now?

I’ll try making those cuts and post a follow-up on how it works out. I’ll probably keep the blue and purple together like you said, but drop the purple if it struggles.

https://i.postimg.cc/65Xn3Fwj/IMG-3581.jpg

Here are the clippings. One more question I guess, do the tops of the clippings’ stems need to be sticking out of the water or is it okay that they are submerged while in water to grow roots? They are just so short, but I suppose I could use bread ties to hold them in position.

[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 2 points 7 hours ago

Yes, I definitely think it's worth saving each section (I have a problem, and the problem is not enough plants). Those couple of shorter sections should be just fine for the few days it will take for them to begin rooting.

As for blue and purple together: I don't recommend removing the topmost leaf or bud (also called an apical bud) because they help to regulate the growth hormones of the plant and will have a stronger growth response than leaves or buds further down. Cutting a leaf as pictured below will preserve that hormone regulator but give the plant less to maintain while new roots are forming.

[–] pageflight@piefed.social 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

How recently did you transplant it? If it's just a couple days, it might just be recovering.

[–] loopy@lemmy.today 4 points 2 days ago

A few days ago. I’m trying not to do too much at once but I don’t want to wait if it needs a change. The person I got it from said to just try the roots in a glass of water for a few days and then transfer to soil with not too much water if it looks better.

[–] jay2@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago

I want to say it was over watered causing root rot.

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It definitely gives me over watered vibes, but I am just a hobbyist, no expert knowledge. If it's freshly transplanted, I'd give it a few days and see how it adapts. I don't know what moisture control potting soil contains (I assume some kind of plant-friendly dessicant?), but it could be reacting to that? I wouldn't move it around too much more without giving it time to recover after transplanting, tho.

[–] simone@lemmy.org 1 points 2 days ago

Sleepy vine.