Should planting depth be adjusted for a rooted cutting?

Question

I've acquired some rooted holly cuttings that I intend to plant out in the field.

The cuttings were rooted in media and I obtained the cuttings with an intact root-media ball.

When planting a cutting like this, should media be removed until the first roots become visible?

Good planting practices indicate that the root flare of a tree should be visible when planting. Does the same apply to a cutting?

The cuttings had about an inch of the branch buried in media before the first roots began to appear, which I removed before planting in an intermediate container while they acclimate.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 22 '20 at 18:53

1

No, the same does not apply to a rooted cutting, they should be planted at the same depth they are already, with not more or less soil below or above the stem. You don't say what the 'media' is, but assuming it's potting soil or soil of some sort, leave it alone and plant as is. The only time one might remove some of the soil round the base of a plant is if they've been bought in pots - sometimes sellers top up the soil just before putting them out for sale to cover up any moss or weeds beneath. It usually falls off when you plant out, and should not be left in place if it is higher up the mainstem of the plant than the original potting media.

answered Dec 22 '20 at 18:53

Bamboo

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What would you recommend if I've already done this and placed them into an intermediary container? Add soil back to the original line? – user1469762 Dec 22 '20 at 19:16
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Yes, but don't add to much. I'm assuming you removed the soil very recently though – Bamboo Dec 22 '20 at 22:33
Yes, it was less than a week ago. The cutting had a clear transition in color where the original soil line was. Thank you. – user1469762 Dec 22 '20 at 23:13
Could I also ask what the rationale behind not changing the planting depth is? – user1469762 Dec 23 '20 at 01:00

Should planting depth be adjusted for a rooted cutting?

1 Answers1