SOS: Need immediate help

My husband came home with cuttings from camelllias taken from his parents' old place which they had to sell. Now I need to know the best way for a novice to root them !!! I really want to save these. Please help me if you can, or direct me to a place with info - preferably with pictures!!!!!

I found this site very helpful.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-002/426-002.html

KatyMac thanks ! I know now is not the time to take cuttings but his family lived there for 62 years until their health forced them to move into a retirement home. My husband had a chance to go by there today and "sneak" cuttings !!

They might root if you add bottom heat. I took cuttings from a friend's "Pink Perfection" and used a propagating heat mat. Did this in January and used half a 2 liter pop bottle as a humidity dome on each. The cuttings still look green.
Hope you're successful.
Digs

I just potted up some cuttings of Gardenia 'Kleims Hardy' I did. They really need the warth, light and humidity to take. The cuttings I did were under haleid lights on a heated table with some humidity. It took about 7 months to get a little 4" potted plant. I think they need to callus over and then they take a while.

Just don't make the same mistake I made and put them in a sunny, hot window. The little guys didn't appreciate that at all and they all failed. Light yes, but not too much. Grow lights are awesome if you have a place for them! I second DigsGardening's suggestion for humidity as well. I put the pot in a plastic ziplock bag, and that works well too. But if you do it that way, make sure the bag doesn't touch the leaves.

Thanks to all of you who responded !! Unfortunately I do not have a greenhouse, growlight,or heat mat :( Sounds like I might be doomed from the start and I do wish I could preserve a little of his "home" for him. I had no idea they were so hard. No wonder I am a daylily woman!!!

I took this idea from a post in the Frugal Living Forum. It's a small adaption... all I needed but it's keeping my little flat warm in an east window. I figured it was worth a try! I used one short string of Xmas lites, WalMart pond plant container and disposable baking pans w/ a baking bag.

WOW, Katy! That is a great setup!

KatyMac, that's a cool setup.

corgimom, if there is some way you could use the warmth of the top of the fridge and add one of those fluorescent lightbulbs above and do it sorta like what KatyMac did, then you should be ok. I've used chopsticks and bamboo sticks to hold up the plastic and renwings is right, don't let the leaves touch the plastic.

I used a rooting hormone with fungicide mixed in. You should be able to get some cutting take if you try this. Just be patient.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to try at least. Maybe I'll get lucky and end up with a few anyway and that would be a blessing.

Also check out the American Camellia Society website. It has a section that deals with home propagation of camellias. Their website
is: www.camellias-acs.org frankford

I must be dyslexic. You said Camellia, I read Gardenia. Ay. I have failed with almost all of my Camellia cuttings - I did a flat of fishtail Camellia and not a single cutting took after 4 months. I think the propagation table was too warm (75F). I think they prefer between 65-70F bottom heat and good humidity to root. Sorry for my confusion.

growin, I LIVE in a state of confusion, so that is "normal" for me!!!!

Hey I spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to spell " is " .

:)

corgimom, I'm going to offer a very simple way of propagating your camellia cuttings. Dip the cut end in a bit of root hormone (Wal-mart, Lowe's), in a small (quart, or smaller) nursery pot put a decent planting mix (I use Sta-Green, bagged in North Alabama but you may wish to spring for a bit more expensive type), stick the cutting in the mix, slowly water the cutting, set the pot outside in a shady location and watch it grow (don't pull it up to check on its progress). Keep the mix moist, but not soaked. Just give it a feel, and water when it appears to be getting dry. If you really want to get sophisticated, substitute vermiculate for the planting mix. If we get a couple nights of cold weather, bring it inside until the following day when it warms up. Don't set it in direct sun. This is getting a little late, but it's not something to worry about. Be well, and think good thoughts. Nature has predisposed them to root, just try to do no harm.

You guys are so wonderful!!! I have high hopes - even if I just get one or two to live that would be a piece of their 62 year history in that one house and would mean a lot to me. THANKS !!!!

My DH and I started about 30 cuttings. Just hope at least a few work! I will keep them misted and hope for the best.

thanks :)

Corgimom,
I'm a newbie to this forum but I can tell you what I've heard in other forums...that you can use a regular heating pad on low for bottom heat. I'm so desperate I've got an electric blanket around plummie cuttings I'm trying to root to keep them warm...LOL
Chantell

plummie???? is that the plural of plums?? or are you raising plumes?

LOL...sorry about that...trying my hand at Plumeria Trees this year...although plums sound yummy!

thanks - I have lots to learn !!

Believe me...probably much less then I!!! :) No worries!

I'm not sure bottom heat is necessary in your location. During the winter bottom heat is necessary for hardwood cuttings. For example cuttings taken in November in Alabama have been done this way. I would say that misting is very important to rooting. Also if you don't already know ...roots may take a long time to form. Michael Dirr's book on woody plant propagation says that rooting may take 8 - 10 weeks

I can only speak from experience in our area, but we don't put them inside and we don't worry about bottom heat. We have plenty of heat and humidity this time of year. I have fellow gardener friends who just stick cuttings in soil similar to the mother plant, and they do well. It does take some time to show results. I pot them outside.