Third step

Next, strip off some of the subordinate foliage, revealing up to about an inch of the base of the coronet (the stalk will root but the leaves will rot - see photo). They will come off in sort of a spiral fashion. The idea is to bare the stalk. The minute brown-colored bumps below the leaf scars are root prehistoric (baby roots waiting to grow) and there may even be a few short roots at the pedestal of the crown (the image at right shows a crown with a lot of roots). Though these won't be the roots that will grow in the next step, try not to damage these. After trimming and stripping, let the crown dry out for a couple days before disappearing to the next step. This will consent the cut end and the leaf scars to heal and avert rot.

There are a mixture of ways to do this, but I have originate after trying several method, that the simplest is the most efficient. Place the crown in a clear beaker of water and change out the water every few days. Place the crown away from any temperature extremes (heating or cooling vents/hot south-facing windows). On top of the refrigerator will work. In three weeks you'll see healthy root growth as illustrated in the pictures at right. You're now ready to plant the crown. As an aside, I've been told that if you use a dark colored glass, like a red fake cup for example, you'll get better rooting. However I haven't tried this myself. You might want to try a clear glass as well as a shady glass, and let me know your results.