I mentioned in another post that I'm taking Horticulture classes at our local community college (something I've wanted to do all my life!) and we are studying propagating techniques. We took a bunch of cuttings from shrubs/flowers/grasses/etc. and put them in the mist bed. The trays of the mist bed are filled with a sandy mixture that has coils running along the bottom that circulate warm water (for warmth). The mister comes on like every 10 minutes for 12 seconds. It's inside the greenhouse with adequate light and circulation.
My question is ~~~~ I'm SO worried about getting all my new hoya cuttings (from Carol and now from Mel, too!) to root that I'm wondering if the mist bed would be a sure bet? Anybody ever used one to root cuttings? Would it be overkill?
Carol....whatever it is you sent with the HUGE leaves is just SO COOL that I'd die if I didn't root them right and they rotted (I'm trying them in the "baggie" method). I asked the instructor and since there is still a little bit of room in the mist bed, he said I could bring my cuttings out if I wanted.
I just thought I'd check with "those in know" and get some opinions.
THANKS!
Betsy
Mist Bed for Cuttings?
Mist beds are really neat for very hard to root tropicals (and others). Nurseries use them all the time for maximum success. Hoyas are VERY easy to root. It just takes sticking them in dirt up to the node and then about 1/4" more, keeping damp and warm with humidity. If you don't have the humidity, that's where the covers/baggies etc. come in really handy. Actually, if you cut off the top part of a 150litre plastic pop bottle, poke a few hole in the top and set it over the pot...you can have the same effect. Misting helps too.
Your class sounds really neat!!!
Carol
Carol...
Great idea with the litre bottle! I think I'll give it a try.....sounds like the mist bed might be overkill, then, eh?
BTW (and WAY off subject) ~ was watching tv the other night , DH had on that show "DOG; Bounty Hunter" and Dog was in Keaau! I went "Hey! That's where Carol lives!" =)
Funny...yep...you wouldn't believe it but this area is kinda the wild west!!! Cows were rustled just up the street and slaughtered in the road, kids hunt wild pigs with dog and knives (no guns) and the police only drive on sealed roads 'cause it might ruin the paint jobs on their SUVs. I don't worry, tho...I have a couple of highly trained Attack Hoyas !
Gheeze Carol...no criminal types would dare come up that hoya planted road of yours. They don't realize that it requires a machete to get in there. (only the Fed X guys know the secret easy route)..Ha Ha
Marcy
Carol, out of curiosity, what should you do when the leaf that is stuck in the soil starts looking wacky? Mushy, brown. Should you take it out? Will the plant still root?
Heather
Yeiks Carol, a 150 liter plastic Pop Bottle!!???
And I thought that everything in Texas is bigger, I guess it's even bigger in HI :)
OH, what's a decimal between friends?
I take the mushy rotten leaf off. It may still root and grow. Good time to tip it out and check on the lower stem in the soil...and recut if necessary...IMHO. :>)
Between friends the decimal point is supposed to move the other direction :)
ROTFLMBO!
Scarey, Carol.....I didn't even NOTICE the 'floating decimal"!