Guide to buy plant cuttings online Part 2

Part 2: Unrooted cuttings are rubbish, and those who sell them should be ashamed.
That was a message I received a while back when I sell unrooted cuttings on my website. An unrooted cutting will have a higher risk of failure than a rooted one, but it doesn't mean it is a total waste of time or rubbish. A healthy cutting, rooted or not, is still a good cutting. You need to pick the right one for you based on your budgets, preferences, and experiences.
Unrooted cuttings are cuttings without any roots. A cutting with aerial roots is still considered unrooted because how the aerial roots function will differ from regular soil roots. Aerial root's roles are to draw nutrients and moisture from the air. Mature aerial roots might get suffocated if you put them straight to soil. When you go shopping for unrooted cuttings, you should look for ones with healthy aerial roots. The more aerial roots, the merrier. Healthy aerials roots are often green or brown. If they are still growing, they will have white or light yellow tips. Mature aerial roots are good. However, young aerial roots are the best because they are more adaptable to new environments. If you see new aerial roots pop out, you are in luck. You can put them in any medium. They will adapt quickly. Black, dried aerial roots are prone to rot and should be cut before propagating the cutting. Unrooted cuttings are the enemies of beginners. When you never root a cutting, you will have a lot of doubts and worries. An unrooted cutting will cause much more stress because of the endless unexpectancies it can create. But if you have experience, unrooted cuttings generally are more affordable and available. They are the best bang for your bucks. In PART 3, we will continue with rooting and rooted cuttings.