Maya variegation field test - NE Illinois

Through the season I will continue to update this thread with the progress in growing out the cuttings received.
Regular pics will be posted with associated information. Long range plans are to plant one cutting in ground and the other will be container grown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~general timeline~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
25-Mar: 2 cuttings were received via usps
The stem ends were recut at a 45 degree angle to facilitate water uptake while standing in a container. I've chosen to intitiate rooting by placing in approx 1.5" water with an airstone from a small standard aquarium pump. Commonly referred to as a 'Bubbler' throughout this forum, numerous members have extolled the virtues thereof.
27-Mar: nubbies showing
31-Mar: planted in 4" pots
08-Apr. new growth indicating root development
17-Apr. roots out of drain holes. Repot
27-Apr. good growth; roots out drain holes; potting up
05-May. Repot to tall 7gal hard plastic pot.
26-May. Take outside to shade
03-Jun. first Maya gets planted in ground. New bed with MG potting soil / alfalfa meal tilled in to 16"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 days in the bubbler under fluorescent lights and the white 'nubbies' are developing. Some may be clearly seen at the bottom of this pic.


This message was edited May 26, 2005 6:23 AM

This message was edited Jun 3, 2005 7:54 AM

Well done Blaine. This will be very interesting to follow.

Lookin' Good Blaine!! Wooo hoooooooo You're ahead of me :( lol

Is it ok to add a little h202 to the water, I don't have a bubbler.

If you have an extra $10, you can get a bubbler and stone at WalMart. You would probably have to get some hose too, but it is cheap. I'm anxious for you all to grow these and share with others this fall. Everyone should have a Maya. She's a beaut.

It's not the money, it's that I live about 7 miles from my local WalMart and I don't go to town every day. I really don't go unless I really need something, because every time I go to WalMart I end up spending way to much money, I can always find thing to buy and I don't always need everything that I buy. The things that I think I need and what I really need is two different things. I'm sure I'm not along there.

Linda

So, Blaine...what is her surrounding environment like? Greenhouse? Kitchen? Temp range?

I had also planned to grow one in a container and one in the ground once she was old enough.

Are we all going to have our own choice of ferts or will there be a standard set? What about Messenger?.......hmmmm, perhaps I will grow both in the ground and use Messenger on one of them...

Kell, does Maya enjoy shade (being variegated) or can she take full sun?

Isn't this fun?

Aloha

One more question: Does the green cutting take a little longer to root then the woody cuttings?

I have two of Maya, The mid day sun at it's hottest is not loved by Maya, She wilts a bit but I have had no bud drop. Leaves smaller than most other brugs, Blooms a joy, lovely scent. I have one I'm growing as a standard type, the other I was going to bush up but, she seems to form a canopy and not bush well. She also seems to grow slower than the other brugs. And I am to chicken to cut her way back to promote low growth. Leaves are so pretty, lots of white. Good luck all. I love her.

Linda, I know what you are talking about. I can go to WallyWorld to pick up a couple of things and then have to figure out how to get it all in the truck when I come out of the store.

Brugie then when you get home you have to carry it in and once in the house you have to put it up. While putting everything up you discover there were a few item you got that you already had. Then I tell myself "oh will if I get snowed in I will have it", I use this saying no matter what I have doubled up on. But in my small town if it wasn't for Wal Mart we wouldn't have a place to shop unless we wanted to drive 50+ miles. Got to love it.

Same for here in Hilo...capitol of the Big Island!!! Unless you are wild about Sears or Macy! Small small town...

Linda - I've used That Fish Place for years for all of my aquarium needs. You can get your pump, stones, line right here and have it delivered quick. Here's a link for a Whisper pump. Then look under the fish accessories for the airline and stones of which they have many.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F02/Class/Fish+Supplies+Air+Pumps/T1/F02+0393+0076/EDP/6529/Itemdy00.aspx
Otherwise, yeah I guess you could add h2o2 or just replace the water every day. I've done that rooting other plants.
I'm not familiar with ease of rooting in brugs woody versus green. The only other brug cutting I've rooted was a tender green 4" lateral that broke off. I ran some boiled water through my mix, stuck the 'cutting' and put an inverted soda bottle over it. In about a week it almost looked like the leaves were exuding something and drying so I uncapped it. It never wilted and has new growth.

Aloha - IMO everyone would use whatever methods and ferts they normally use. When people report different bloom color/intensity on blooms or variegation, they are in different zones and grow via different methods.
These cuttings are on an extra stand I slammed together and put in the guest room. There's a 55gal aquarium that stays about 74'. There's 3 shelves on this stand and each has a pair of double 48" fluorescents on a timer for 14 hours of on time.

Blaine, great going, I'm so glad it's working well for you, and so quickly!!! It is the most sure fire method I've tried, and, it didn't break the bank...

Will I went to town today and got me an aquarium Air pump, I'm thinking now I got the wrong thing. If I did let me know and I will take it back and look again. Can someone give me the correct name I would be looking for. I didn't get a quiet one and this thing is loud.

Edit to say I didn't get a stone or whatever it is maybe thats what I need.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2005 4:28 PM

An 'airstone' just makes smaller bubbles. In the small amount of water we're dealing with just using the airline will work. You'll probably need to rubberband the end to a little rock or fishing weight or something to keep it beneath the water. You did get some airline, didn't you? Depending on what type of airpump you have, you can adjust the output.

Just using a plain airline will work because what happens is the bubbles rising agitate the water and the gases are exchanged on the surface.

LOL yes I did get some airline. And it is bubbling away. The next time I go to walmart I will look again for the stone.

My DH just read your reply and got a really big laugh. He asked me how you new that I was a blond, since you asked the following question?

You did get some airline, didn't you?

We both really got a good laugh. Thanks for that.

Linda

hey, I resemble that remark! Was albino blonde as a kid but then it darkened up in the 20's and now it wants to go grey.

Some airpumps are noisier and if they don't have any pressure to work against (line "attached" and under water) they'll really rattle besides damaging their flapper valves.

I set the pump on top of a piece of foam to keep it a little quieter, then this morning I attached the check valve to the airline and it seems to have taken some of the pressure off and the bubbles aren't so big now. The one I got was around $7. Nothing fancy, but if it works thats all I care about.

I want this Maya cutting to make it, because after seeing a picture of it I new I had to have it. Then when I plant it I will make sure I sterilize the soil and move it to another part of the house to keep it away from my other plants, don't want it to pick up any bugs or any thing like that.

pump dept: make sure you don't block the intake on the bottom. if anything, put pieces under the corners or just along each end so it can breath. Don't smack me, I don't mean to be smart but ensure your checkvalve was point the right direction. It really shouldn't have impacted the air output. The air should just blow straight through but it would prevent water being sucked back in. Another test will be to just pick up your air pump and see if the air increases which would be a good indicator you had blocked the intake.

cuttings: I'm tempted to give extra attention to details on these but will resist and simply treat them like I treat everything else. I think I'll be potting them up in the next day or so as the nubs are protruding pretty well. Soon as there's a similance of root, they're going into pots and I'll put up a new pic.

When I picked up the Air Pump it didn't make any difference, but to be on the safe side I hung it on the wall and I double checked the check valve the arrow is pointing going away from the pump.

I don't think you would be acting smart on anything that you suggest to me. I need all the help I can get.

Potting with pics tonight. Checked this morning and the protruding nubs are developing the bristles to become roots.

Mine aren't even starting to show any nubs yet. Since I added the bubbler, maybe it will start coming around.

With rootlets about to extend from the lenticels, I potted the cuttings this morning.
4" pots using half Steins potting mix and half coir. I bottom watered them with a light liq fertilizer mix with superthrive.

I've started using 1/2 to 2/3 coir in my potting mix because it wicks up the water so well. I've found I can continue to bottom water the brugs in 3gal pots because that coir sucks it up and distributes so readily.


This message was edited Mar 31, 2005 7:26 AM

This message was edited Mar 31, 2005 11:32 AM

Nice nubbies

WOW! You are going to be there first and fastest!
Yours have certainly had a fantastic start!

Well, a little beginner's luck never hurt. ;) Plus the wealth of brug info picked up here. I'm going to try and push these if possible.

The varigation comparison test is great but on a greedy personal note - I can't wait to have these babies blooming!
What are you doing with yours? Water or pot up immediately?

I'm soaking mine after cutting at an angle. I won't be planting these since they are tiny until I have roots showing, not just the nubbies. I have better luck when they're rooted pretty good before planting. Just got mine today. I just don't want to take any chances on losing either of them....I'd just die if that happened. *crossing fingers...knock on wood* lol

added to say I also used H202 in the water with my cuttings

This message was edited Apr 1, 2005 9:34 AM

The larger one I put in water with H202 added.
The smaller, thinner one I potted.
(I've had less luck putting thin cuttings close to the end in water).
I made new cuts in both.

That makes sense. I wonder if the lenticels are not developed or functional on green wood? I'd also be curious where the roots originate on a thin green piece when potted.

Sounds like I might have a job for one of my suckers soon. Pot up a flexible green piece until I have new growth and roots at the drainage holes, then wash the mix off and see where the roots came from.

Mind are taking there own sweet time about putting on nubs, so this morning I trimmed a little more off each piece, and will see what happens. I am beginning to think they aren't going to do anything, they have been in water for about 5 day.

My experience:

Green wood is flexible ( will almost bend in half without breaking) without lenticels. This usually roots around the edge of the cut. Harder to root.

Semi-hardwood is still green, but has visible lenticels. It doesn't bend much without breaking. Parts under water or soil root easily.

Hardwood, is just that. Sometimes so hard you have to use a saw to cut it. Also roots well in water or soil.

Thanks Shirley -

Linda, I wonder if adding the H202 has anything to do with it? Are they in a warm place and how much water are they standing in? Got a picture ?

Where the new growth is starting to break on mine, I was already thinking I could cut some off the top and root. Maybe I'll go ahead and do that today in case yours flops on us.

Here is a picture of my cuttings out of the water.

Another picture, this time in the water. I keep it in about one and a half inch of water under my lights. When I got my air pump I dumped the water and put them in fresh water. Our house stays at 63 at night and 65 during the day. But of course this last week the weather outside has been better, so I think the house has been staying warmer.

Sorry my picture isn't real clear. I just added more water to it, maybe that will help.

This message was edited Apr 1, 2005 12:31 PM

I would only cut if you have evidence of rot .

When you do make it a clean sharp cut w/o little tags left hanging to start decomposing.

Roots could be starting around the bottom edge also not only from nubbies.

Just relax and allow it to grow while keepig the water changed if it needs it.

The bubbler should keep the water fresh tho .

Is that not a little leaf?? I've had some that took longer to get roots, they were greenies, and grew some leafs first - until then, I thought they were doomed...the hard wood roots much quicker for me. Good luck!

I see one too Sherry. They'll be fine...just relax and soon you'll see there was nothing to worry about. You're doing great! :)
Julie

Leaf growth started after a week in pots.

My little guy has lost what he came with; just nubs left. He is bent over, but we are nurturing him with TLC here in Richmond, VA.
The other looks okay -