For twentyfive years I have noticed amongst the commercial growers of Florida . . . None use rooting hormone powders.
The secret to sucessful rooting is clean soil or soilless mix. 50%/50% Canadian peat moss and Pearlite or better yet 50%Cypress mulch with Peat. For hardwoods that take a long time to root . . . Fungacide. At any garden center buy CAPTAN, one tablespoon full of powder into a 2 gallon watering bucket is good mix. Water pots with this liquid just untill soaked, then stick cuttings. Never, never, never stick a full foliage cutting. Cut off tip groth and all other leaves in half. Water transpiration from leaves during the struggle to root is the most common cause of plant death. Other inhibitors to rooting can be: wind agitation, over handleing and too much "Watching"
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Rooting Gells and Powders . . .
I would really like to get this information, but I'm afraid I didn't quite understand what you are saying about the mix. Can you say again exactly what goes into the rooting mix. thanks
You have two choices of rooting mix:
50%/50% Canadian peat moss and Pearlite.
or better yet 50%Cypress mulch with Peat.
I have used the cypress mulch and peat moss and it works GREAT! I mix sand in mine at a rate of 1/3rd cypress mulch, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 sand.
There is something special about Cypress mulch. Find a bag that has lots of mated fiber. Some brands are all wood chunks, no good. The fiber is long and creates aeration and quick drainage. Cypress does not decompose like most wood barks and does not emulsify (Rot quickly).
Another great rooting mix . . . 50% Cypress Mulch and 50% Spahgnum Moss with a little Pearlite thrown in. This mix holds water evenly for long periods of time without "sogging" the cuttings to death. Spahgnum Moss is anti-bacteria and naturaly inhibits fungus that cause rot !! (No need for fungacide).
Also helpful . . . The smaller the pot, the more often the need to water. Root cuttings in pots no smaller than 4". When roots apear at the holes of the pots, then fertilize with half strength liquid. (20-20-20 Peters, etc.) You could still loose your plants by disturbing the roots. Get your plants good and healthy before moving up to larger pots. And "Never" spread roots apart!
The most common mistake we do with tropicals is to root or plant in soil too heavy (wright out of the bag). Many of our popular tropicals are "Epifites" , they do not grown naturally in soil. Anthuriums, many ferns, Philodendrons, Pothos, Orchids, Bromeliads, Ficus, many Begonias, etc. grow in mulch at the base of trees or in the mulch clutter of the crotch of branches and also on the bark high up in the trees. Root and grow in a mix that is highly areated..
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Thanks for the response. There are so many plants that I want to start new ones from, but it seems that it is always such a tricky business to try to start almost any plant from cuttings, other than the purely herbaceous ones anyway. I will make note of this and try this mix on the next attempt. Thanks.