I have several, so please bear with me...
1. On a H. compacta tricolor with stems nearly 6' long, can I cut pieces of stem and root them? If so, how long a piece should it be; how many leaves do I remove; do they need bottom heat? How many cuttings should I put in a 4" pot?
2. What about the light factor during rooting? Humidity? I have a small greenhouse thingy I can use, but wondered about the air circulation, or the lack thereof.
3. This relates to the lo-o-o-o-ng stem rooting question... if I have a stem with lots of aerial roots along it, would it be feasible to put the mother plant on a shelf and line up small pots of soil, take the stem w/roots, pin it down into the pots and when roots take hold, cut the stem into pieces to produce rooted cuttings?
4. I read something on the page about growing Hoyas in MA (on Carol's website) about using SuperThrive solution to mist plants with. Would that apply to rooting cuttings also?
5. And lastly, where do you find the mats that provide bottom heat? Wouldn't a heating pad on lowest setting still be too hot?
Thanks for your patience with this newbie. I'm taking notes.. honest!! ;)
Barb
I've edited this to change the ID of the plant in question #1... sorry, I'll learn the correct plant names soon, I promise. The close, tightly curled leaves on the H. compacta are what's throwing me.
This message was edited Oct 14, 2005 7:43 AM
Questions about rooting Hoyas
I've got a question to add too, if you root in water, when you are ready to transplant in soil, do you need to make a fresh cut on the stem at the bottom?
Barb, I can answer one of those questions, a heating pad on the low setting should work. Maybe put something over it, like an oven rack so you don't get the cuttings to hot.
Heather
Thanks, Heather. That makes sense.
Now, why do you make a cut on the bottom of the stem? Do you do this on all your cuttings?
Barb
Barb -
Yes, you can use a heating pad...but make sure it is for WET/DRY...I used them for years until Sandyc sent me a GH variety!!! I put large tiles on them to better conduct the heat...used a cookie sheet too with fine pea gravel on it for the plant to sit on. Worked great!
The vine you root can be as long as you want...but it may take longer. I usually don't start vines with more than 5 or 6 nodes...and big leafed ones like aff. latifolia I make one node cuttings.
Yes to #3. Often I will pull out a plant to find it has rooted in another pot. Just cut it off and you have another plant. Wait til it is well rooted. Kinda an airlayering thing, right.
I use the shadiest part of my green house for rooting. You don't want to make the leaves too tired trying to photosynthesize double time while rooting. Yes on humidity. Awanda has a tiny fan in her little greenhouse...good idea.
Some people say it isn't important which end you stick in the soil...I happen to not like to play with nature. Plants grow OUT and there is a bottom and a top to the vine or cutting. If you inspect your node there are ways to tell the bottom and the top of the node, usually. Often, like on H. lacunosa, there are tiny roots coming out of the bottom of the node...so it goes into the pot that end down. Some nodes will have a tiny bump...really tiny...on the top which will become new growth...so that goes into the soil UP. When in doubt, you can lay the cutting flat on top of the soil with a weight (or an old fashioned type of hairpin) holding the node down. The plant will figure it out.
Carol
Super, Carol! Thanks a bunch! Will pick up a wet/dry heating pad and use a jellyroll pan I already have. From what you noted about the light factor, I probably won't need to put a light in the small greenhouse setup I have. For humidity, would a couple of small under-plant saucers full of water work? The tiny fan I have should suffice.
Now, about the H. carnosa cuttings.. how long? 4"? Bare stem.. 2"? 3"? And does this apply to most any cutting?
Thanks for your help!
Barb
When I started out I was taught that one node cuttings were the best, then 2 nodes...so I stuck with this method pretty much until recently when I have been rooting vines with 3 and 4 nodes (sets of leaves) I like 2 node cuttings when I have enough plant to do them. Now, for the smaller leafed things like lacunosa, obscura, heuschkeliana...where the nodes are closer together...I usually bury 2 nodes and leave 3 or 4 nodes of leaves. Experiment...take one of your bigger plants and try a one node, 2 node and maybe a 5 node. See which roots best for you...we all have different growing conditions. HAHA..actually it was MelTn who showed me how to propagate!!! She does a fabulous job rooting stuff inside in the winter. MEL, OH, MEL....WHERE ARE YOU????
Hot Dawg!!! MelTn is just a few miles (or so) north of me, so maybe she'll take me under her wing and help me along in the correct propagation techniques.
Now.... I also have a passion for Brugs and have been reading about the bubbler technique of rooting Brug cuttings. Do you think that technique would work with Hoya cuttings? I'm about to give it a shot with some Brugs but I hate to sacrifice H. cuttings for an experiment. Anyone tried this method with Hoyas yet? Carol? Mel? Christina?
I can't think why it wouldn't work. It is supplying oxygen to the roots as they root... Try a cutting or two...go on...take the risk...then we can all learn!!! lol
Carol
When you get a cutting with a number of nodes and you root it in a ziploc bag and get roots in many places along the stem, is it best to cut the cutting into 2 or 3 pieces when you pot them up? I know it would be a matter of growing preference but being new to propagating hoyas I'm not sure how easy it is to get them to grow once they've been potted up.
Sandy
I used to not want to cut up a long cutting of a new hoya. I just rooted the whole thing. Now I know better!
When I get a long cutting (lets say 5 nodes of a medium sized hoya) I cut it up in 2 + 2 + 1 node and pot 2 in the same pot and 1 by itself. The 2 I keep for myself, the 1 I keep until it's big enough to sell.
When I get a long cutting (lets say 2 nodes of a large sized hoya with longer internodes) I cut it in half and plant both together.
When I get a long cutting of a small leafed hoya I check for root bumps and cut at those places and pot several in one pot.
Potting 2 cuttings for myself is sort of a selfish thing. Partly because the odds for new growth increases, the risk of root rot is still there but often one of the plants is okay, the trellises I use have 2 sides and having one cutting each grow on either side makes it steadier.
I've learned NOT to keep the cuttings too big. At least not when I get new hoyas. When I cut my own hoyas back and want to keep only the nicest parts, THEN I can pot up long (sometimes really long) cuttings just to try to keep the size of my plant rather big. I have learned that it doesn't take much longer for long cuttings to root, but they take FOREVER to start growing. I consider it worth it since they are already big and have a head start compared to a cutting.
That was my little experience. It works for me - most of the time. I have lost a lot of cuttings over the years, but less when I keep new ones smaller.
Christina
Thank you very much Christina, that information is very helpful. When I looked at the pictures of your beautiful hoyas I always thought you just had one cutting in each pot so I thought maybe I should be doing that. The only two I have potted up so far I cut into a number of pieces and put them all in one pot each. Do you cut them up and then root them in pots or do you root them in a bag or in water first?
Sandy
Hi Christina,
great info on how you root... I was wondering though, what do you do for cuttings that are quite long say like a pubicalyx or carnosa that may have on a few sets of leaves but many nodes with no leaves that have developed yet....do you also cut those and try to root the end of the vine with no leaves on it?..I have found in trying to root leafless vines to be hard...what do you do?
Sandy
Wow, this is wonderful information! Much appreciation is extended to all those who have taken the time to put what works for them down in writing for the rest of us. Keep it coming, too. Any more hints from you others out there?
Any opinions on the SuperThrive misting issue?
Barb
I SECOND THAT, BARB! Thank you to all who are posting about what method works best for them!! Lots of ways to try...I just want ONE that will WORK so I have lots of new hoyas!!
B
Sandy,
It depends on what condition the cutting is in. Is it a little sad I put it in cool water with a drop or two of SuperThrive (thank you Carol for that idea) for up to 24 hours and then pot it directly in my soilmix. I don't have room for putting bags over the pots so I leave them like that. I keep all cuttings together so they might help add to the humidity around them. I don't know... They usually root and adjust better to my home environment than if I kept a bag over it until it starts growing. A bit risky yes, but I consider it worth it. I check my cuttings daily and if anyone looks sad again it's back in the water and if possible a fresh cut before potting it again. The second time I might mist it with SuperThrive a couple of times a day... If I remember.
I've tried to root leafless cuttings. I'd say I've had 10 % success out of loads of tries! If I can, I try not to root leafless vines. All they do for me is take up space and time that could be spent on something else. If I get a cutting of a pubicalyx, and it has 5 nodes but only 3 set of leaves (first node: leaves, second node: no leaves, third and forth node: leaves, fifth node: no leaves). Pubicalyx is easy to root so I would have cut it after the second node and after the third node. I would leave the leafless parts if they looked like they could shoot new vines eventually. However, if this was a glabra I'd cut it up in one-node cuttings and throw out the leafless parts. Those leaves are too big to loose moisture to the leafless part.
Field trip to Sweden in the spring when I cut a lot of my hoyas and put lots of cuttings on rooting?!! I could personally show you how I do it!
About that SuperThrive misting... I've thought about it, but not really found a good way of not having to a) either spray directly in the windows and get curtains and carpets "misted" or b) move each hoya upstairs to the bathroom and spray in the bath tub... a) is out of the question and b) would be waaaay too much work. Today I saw something that gave me an idea. I'm going to try it! I'll buy a huge plastic bin (like the ones you can bathe dogs in) that can stand on one of the short sides and put each hoya in there and mist. Problem solved and I can just move the bin around!
Christina
Thanks Christina for answering the leafless vine rooting....and yes a field trip to Sweden to see you rooting in action and all your plants in your house would be great if i could afford it! it would be worth the $$....I will keep buying the Lotto tickets..lol....thanks again for your info...
Sandy
Christina.....I cannot afford a trip to Sweden, however if you were to make a "home movie" when you do this rooting, and whatever else you might like to show about your lovely hoyas and their care (like maybe pruning and trellising), I would GLADLY buy such a movie. I am not kidding...(like in some other threads we have going..ha ha).
I'll bet a lot of us here would buy that CD/VHS/DVD or however you could manage a home movie course in "hoya growing". Start planning it now. :-)
Marcy
Thanks for the information Christina. I have a bunch that I need to start potting up and I'm worrying a bit. I like the idea that if something isn't looking too good I can put it back in water and get a second chance at it. A field trip to Sweden.....don't I wish....lol. I'll have to start buying more lottery tickets too.
I have a variegated kerrii with three nodes with a large leaf at each one. I have it in a Ziploc bag but the leaves are starting to turn brown. Is this one that roots better in water or soil? Is it an easy one to root or does it rot easily due to the fact that it has quite a thick stem and leaves?
Sandy
Sandy...IMHO H. kerrii is one of the more succulent hoyas (there really are few really succulent ones) and it does better with less water than with more water. I would shove the node (with or without leaves) into the soil until it is buried about 1/4" and keep the soil 'damp'...not wet. Wet runs the risk of rot with the succulent ones.
Thanks Carol. I think I'll chop it into a couple of pieces and put it in soil to double my chances of getting one to root.