this was my afternoon project yesterday, I made little growing tubes for my cuttings so they can get nice and tall this winter. I don't need to look out my windows during the winter anyway, right?
bru yubes
Wow! Neat, hope they do well for you. Keep us posted.
Good luck Carena. Keep us updated on how they grow.
There are some that have great results rooting cuttings this way, unfortunately I'm not one of them and last year when I tried it they rotted on me.
From what I have read they are supposed to root quickly with this method.
I finally have it working for me, I was keeping them TOO wet!
a big thanks to Kell for the plastic bag idea. they go crazy in this window, they get lots of light, but never any direct sun. I think the secret is to make sure the soil is just barely damp. Some of these already have roots sneaking out of the holes in the bottoms of the pots, I may have to put them into bigger containers before spring, ahh spring seems so far away right now!!!
what kinna bags are those? going to have to try that---cheryl
Those are neat bags. Would love to know what kind they are also. Your babies look great. You are going to have a great summer next year.
Shirley
I couldn't find any clear bags that were tall enough for the new sprouts to grow without being way too wide and cumbersome, the little pots were tipping over inside the bigger bags, I tried rubber bands around the base of the pots but that didn't work very well so I came up with the idea of using 33 gallon garbage bags (I got them from costco), they have the height I wanted, they come off the roll already neatly folded twice lengthwise, so I was able to just lay them flat on the counter and tape the long edges together, then I opened up just one layer so it creates a long tube with one layer of plastic on one side and 3 layers on the other... it took less than a minute to do each one once I got the procedure down, and they are a perfect fit for 4" pots or cut-off 2 liter pop bottles, and they fit perfectly on the windowsills.
PS: the goofy title is how the cute little neighbor kid pronounced it when I told her they were brug tubes, she thought they were balloons!
I think that is a nifty idea.
So, if I understand you, Brugie, you would get four tubes per bag? That's really cool and quite ingenious!
I think you mean Carena, Morph. You wouldn't even want to see me trying to figure out how to cut the trash bag. I will give it a shot one day though.
no, I didn't cut the bags, each bag made one tube
I was tired... Sorry Brugie & Carena. I couldn't see any tape from your picture, Carena, so that's why I was trying to figure out where the extra part of the bags was.
Morph, I still haven't figured it out. Think I must need things like this showed to me step by step. Just doesn't sink in otherwise. I know what you mean about being tired. Yesterday was one of those days.
Brugi,
This is what I got......
Lay the bag on a flat surface "as it comes out of the box or off the roll"
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They come out folded in quarters lenghtwise.Do Not Unfold...
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Take wide tape and tape each long side together by folding tape over the edge....NOW you can' not 'unfold it....
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Gently slide hand down between 1 outside layer and the other three layers.....
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I can't wait to try this....such a good idea....Gonig to store now for clear (tall kitchen type )33 gal.bags...
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Taa-Taa.....see Ya =)
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You now have a tube with a single layer of plastic on one side and triple layer on the other side
This message was edited Oct 21, 2003 5:02 PM
Shirley, I think I better stick to the bags I bought. Right now, bagging isn't working well. I think it does much better for me in the warmer weather. It does hold in the dropped leaves and keeps the soil more moist even tho I don't have the tops closed.
You have a point Brugie....Oh well,needed bags anyway =)
Hey there Ms Brugie....I can't quite figure it out either! Oragami isn't in the cards for this old gal. LOL I think I mentioned to you that I ordered a case of tall bags the other day and you are welcome to some of 'em if you want. Before they arrived...I was using 'french' bread bags as they were longer in length and quite narrow in width. I managed to talk the 'bakery' clerk at the grocery store in to giving me some until my bag order came in. These new bags are working out OK in keeping the mess contained but, like you, the cuttings aren't doing as well now that it's colder. Mine are open also. Wonder if they would root better if they sat on a heat mat???
I'm giving that a shot now. Just put a few cuttings on the mat this morning.
Thanks scooter for explaining it for me, I had a busy day yesterday and was DG deprived!!!!
I did some in bags during the summer... no problem. This fall with some of the larger ones I could only bad the top part... or tried to finagle two bags around them.
IMHO keeping them air tight like Kell does seems to work best. If air gets in them it seems like it promotes rotting. ... The leaves fall off and get moldy... and I've even had fuzz grow on some of the stems. If they're air-tight they don't seem to do this.