This is my first try at propagation, am I going about this right? This is Hibiscus,Mandevilla,and Viburnum. I'm keeping them in the basement, the temp. stay's around 72 degree's. They are pottrd in straight perlite.
This message was edited Jul 22, 2009 10:57 AM
How old are the cuttings? If they've lived a couple of weeks like your pictures show, they are doing well. If you just stuck them a couple of days ago, only time will tell if they are doing ok.
So they stay green and fresh through the whole process? Thank,s.
Not always - most of the time they lose all the leaves. I just remove all but three top leaves when I do cuttings. I'm fortunate to have lots of shade and a greenhouse to start cuttings, but I still lose most of what I stick. Lots of plant cuttings must be taken at the 'right time of the year' and be cuttings of 'the right wood' - I wish you the best of luck!
I have good experience with Hibiscus, i just cut and stuck. Viburnum is very hardy so that should go well. Mandevilla may be hard but best of luck!
Mandevilla grows fairly easily from a simple layering, they usually root within 6 weeks
For more info check my response on other post http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=6998795
Why perlite? Does it have a miracle grow additive? Just curious...
I tried something just recently that worked real well. I put a teaspoon of the polymers (Watersorb) in a cup of water in a half pint fruit jar and put some Blackie Sweet potatoes in it. What I liked about it was that it held the cuttings down in the water in place, and when they rooted good they had a lot of the polymers in the roots so I just planted them that way. They seem to be doing real good.
Jeanette
Congratulations! Success feels so good!
LOL, yeah, but sweet potato vines will root about anywhere won't they? Give me something hard to do and it might not work.
Blomma, I know that you are very familiar with all of the soil stuff, but have you read Tapla's thread (treatise!) on soils/drainage? It's a sticky in the Container Gardening forum, very interesting read.... I recommend it for everyone, really. My eyes did glaze over at a couple of points, but it's such an important topic for thriving plants that I forced myself to go through it all.
Yes pc, I read it, and I think the most important part of it is putting wicks in the large containers. Just don't remember all the time until I have it planted.
Jeanette
What does it mean when a subject has the word "Sticky" beside it?
Pippi21, I have asked Admin to give you an answer so that you will not be confused. Will let you know when I get the answer. Jeanette
I'll save Admin the trouble - "sticky" means that the thread you're looking at is "stuck" to the top, unlike all the other threads that only go to the top when they're posted on. Admin will make a thread sticky when it contains information that most people on the forum would want to know - be it a good place to find plants, directions for use of that forum, etc..
Sorry Pippi, bet you are even more confused than you were before. Jeanette
Edited for corrected response!
This message was edited Nov 29, 2009 6:05 PM
To answer Kim_M's question about perlite, I use it because it is sterile, has fairly neutral pH, and has excellent aeration while still retaining moisture. Other potting mixes may harbor pathogens until sterilized. There are no rooting hormones or fertilizer in perlite but a lot of cuttings need no additional hormones or fertilizer while rooting.
http://www.perlite.net/redco/basic.htm
Perlite is an excellent product especially for its drainage. Do any of you ever use vermiculite (puffed mica) for rooting? I have used it all my life (since 1953) and I like it a lot - no mixing, good moisture retention and drainage is ok. Probably a mix with perlite would be even better drainage but I've never tried it. Vermiculite is on the shelf at Lowes right next to Perlite, same price.
Paul
Have you all ever tried putting some of the polymers in the water when rooting? I tried it this summer and it really worked great. It held the cuttings in and when the cuttings rooted they held some of the polymers in the roots so when I planted them I just planted them with the polymers and they are growing really well.
I also put some hydrated polymers in some plants when I mailed them and the recipients said the plants looked like I had just handed the plants to them.
I am not selling these things. As a matter of fact, 3 years ago I bought 5 pounds of them on a coop. I didn't use them until this summer I put some in my hanging baskets and they worked pretty good.
Jeanette
I have not used the hydro polymers for rooting but I bought a bottle of it a few years back and found out the hard way that I should've used a very, very small amount in any mix because when it rains, these things just push a lot of soil out of the pot making a huge mess and talk about sticky (I could catch grasshoppers with this - maybe mice) - so I used maybe half the bottle to that point and never used it again. I think I may throw the rest of it out in the garden or trash one day.
LOL, sorry, but you need to hydrate BEFORE you use them. I have heard other people say they pushed their plants out of the pots. I put 1 tsp of them in a pyrex 1 cup measure and fill it with water. Leave it for an hour, stirring every once in a while. Then use it. I just scoop some out with my fingers and sprinkle in the soil where the roots will be. mix it with the soil.
The first time I used them was many years ago. My begonias did not even grow that year. When I took them out of the pots in the fall, the roots were stuck inside of those things. They never got out of them for some reason. Weirdest thing I ever saw. I swore I would never use them again. Then, everyone was raving about them so I decided to try again. I bought them on the coop and didn't use them until this year. My fuchsia baskets did pretty good with them in there.
When I saw the mess that it made I knew I made a terrible mistake. And you are right about the crystals sticking to roots and soil - what a mess.
I doubt I would ever use them again. I read a report that they may delay watering by a day (or two) in Fine Gardening which may be good for really thirsty plants but most plants I grow need to dry out sooner than later so they don't rot. I may add the remaining crystals to some colocasias next year.
