Root Development in Plant Cuttings

English/Malay

I have tried to grow fig cuttings three times: the first one was a hundred percent success (2/2 cuttings) whereas the second and the third times were less than fifty percent success, and now currently on the fourth attempt.

During the second and third attempts, I varied with the water levels and noticed that roots that developed on the cuttings were clustered near the water surface.

The blue line indicates water level.
Note that the roots developed near the water surface.

A study by Zimmerman (1930) showed similar observation, relating the importance of oxygen for root development in cuttings, albeit certain species requires more oxygen than others. Oxygen is needed for plant respiration, to convert food storage in the cuttings into energy needed for root development whereas deprived of oxygen led to cell decayed. Oxygen is deprived when the water is too deep. For this reason, it is recommended to change water everyday to maximize oxygen availability in the water. 

Reference

1. Zimmerman, P. W. (1930). Oxygen requirements for root growth of cuttings in water. American Journal of Botany, 17, pp. 842-861.

2. Why do plants need oxygen?.