– Why is it so easy to overwater a plant, but sticking the roots directly underwater is how you propagate it?

Question

Title. It’s just funny to me how cautious I am not to overwater my plants when in soil. But if I cut a piece of a plant and stick it in 100% water it thrives. Wouldn’t the roots being literally underwater be “overwatered” as well?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Plants make roots and leaves to fit their enviroment, any too drastic change to that enviroment makes that part of the plant not viable and it will die off. A root grown in water will survive and function in moist soil well enough to grow more roots but a root grown in soil won’t have te ability to draw oxygen in a overwatered soil.