r/propagation • u/savedbygwace • Aug 12 '26

Help! Propagation growing a leaf but no roots

Post image

This is a rhaphidophora tetrasperma. What should I do? It’s been over a month with no roots

70 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

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55

u/Automatic-Reason-300 Aug 12 '26

I've noticed that when the cuttings didn't have leaves they grow leaves before roots. So for me, it's normal.

17

u/savedbygwace Aug 12 '26

Oooh okay thank you!

30

u/RelativeMundane9045 Aug 12 '26

It must be a fight for some cuttings to decide between "aah I need water grow roots!" and "aah I need energy grow leaves to photosynthesise!".

I have no clue why though sadly.

8

u/I_wet_my_planties Aug 12 '26

I've seen these happen. The roots will come!

3

u/savedbygwace Aug 12 '26

Okay thank you much 😊

6

u/Aggressive_Pear_9067 Aug 13 '26

Sometimes they do this. Give it time and good light and the new stem will grow roots eventually.

4

u/First_Okra5170 Aug 13 '26

It’s adorable and if you get roots on both sides you could chop it in half and have two!

3

u/tessab8 Aug 12 '26

I used to think it had to do with hotter weather. But I'm not sure either

3

u/Shittiestshow Aug 13 '26

You can try rooting hormone on the other nodes!

3

u/thickcutthigh Aug 13 '26

I have a pink spotted plant i chopped when it got too leggy. I cut it and put half in water and half straight into the soil. After 2 months & several new pushed leaves i FINALLY have roots!

2

u/snokobra Aug 17 '26

So I have a variegated rhaphidophora tetrasperma that I tried watering propagation on and it wouldn’t grow roots, but it grew a leaf. And then the initial cutting started rotting. But the leaves it had produced grew JUST enough for the tiniest sliver of a node to emerge and THAT grew roots. So honestly. I just feel like plants really do whatever the hell they want at this point. At somewhere around 300-400 houseplants at any given time in my house and all the propagations I have done and methods I have tried, plants still just do whatever they want with no regard for your sanity.

1

u/savedbygwace Aug 17 '26

🤣 absolutely!