Here is the rooting tubes and tray we got on Saturday from Luc and Carol from Florida colors. You use very little rooting medium so it should be cheeper to root plumerias. Its also black so they should get the heat they need to root.
Tami
Rooting tubes
So cool! And I bet they fit neatly on a heat pad! Now, why didn't I think of that! Nice score:-)
those rooting tubes are amazing...i have had some grow the roots completely out the bottom...and yep the black will help the heat...and they don't take a bunch of space...the way to root for sure....another one i have are the "sandwich" ones...they work well also
I have had great success with these in the chilly NE corridor.
Bob, I would love to see your sandwich rooting thing. LOL Sounds interesting.
Malestorm, Did you use seedling matt or just set it in the sun during summer? And where did you get yours?
This is gonna be great for the cuttings we bring back from Hawaii next month. It will be very easy. I now have a Pudica and A Coolaid rooting it it.
Tami
I sure would like to try some! Who is the manufacturer and/or supplier?
Oh, and whats the approximate length x width and cost per tray?
Thanks....
if one wanted to make a cone out of cardboard...it would have somewhat the same effect..but these are sturdy et...the idea is to have the cone like effect i think...i note that Wormsway has the growing bags as well
Sunleaves Black and White Poly Grow Bags:
Growing success is in the bag! Available in one-half to ten-gallon sizes, you can use and re-use these Sunleaves Black and White Poly Grow Bags to grow almost anything. Collapsible Poly Grow Bags are great space-saving substitutes for traditional plastic nursery pots.
www.wormsway.com
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The reason I like this tray is because I can get 50 cuttings in it at once and it takes very little perlite(what I root mine in) to fill after the cutting is in. It holds them and keeps them from falling over. Its black so absorbs the heat which helps rooting and it was cheep in my book. I paid more because it was at the sale and the PSA gets a percentage but I only paid $30 for the tray and 50 tubes. Allen bought me 20 extra tubes but I will not send these with a cutting if I send a plumeria in the mail. I'll just slip it off. They are made of thick plastic. Like used to be on the bottom of 2 liter soda bottles. Luc said to email them if I needed any more. I got the Idea it would be cheeper.
Dave,
I didn't find the Trays and tubes on their site but I know he has them. I also can't find a name on it anywhere. The tubes have Made in China on them. LOL But doesn't everything we buy now.
Tami
You can buy these trays from most hydroponics supply store..
They also have the square ones which is what i use along with the net pots..
I wish i kept my trays now since you guys want them..
I would have just gave them to you instead of throwing them away..
You might be able to buy them here..
http://www6.mailordercentral.com/igcusastore/products.asp?dept=1108
or
http://www.dillen.com/injection_trays.asp
Davie,
Did they have tubes that you could just slip out. I can't find anything like these.
Tami
Yes all mine slip out..
They are real heavy duty i just couldnt use them because there was no room for the medium
and i didnt want to burn my cuttings..
I bought a few plants off alohatropicals last year and they ship all the plants in those same pots..
Those pots you want are available in a local store here and they don't have a website..
Why don't you ask those sites i gave you send them a email..
Lol ask luc where he buys his..
I will ast Luc but I'm not in need just yet. I was just trying to find them for the others interested. Luc should be home from the conference by now.
Tami
OK. I am confused. Do you just put a tablespoon of perlite in the base and stick the cutting in or is there room along the side for more medium? And, if the roots grow out of those drain holes wouldn't it be hard to remove them since the cutting roots are supposed to be so delicate? Sorry for sounding so dense.
I had one that I got that came in the tube. It was stuck in there good. I tried to be as gentle as I could but I ended up breaking almost all the roots off of it when I finally got it out.
Your points are well taken ardesia and scoolie and that is the main reasons i threw mine out..
I am using the square ones and some of my cuttings are in grodan stonewool cubes that's treated with a special blend of humic acid and hormones..
Beware this stuff is well over a $100 a bottle and is consider tops out of all the root stimulators available..
http://www.humboldtwholesale.com/products/HG_Van_de_Zwaan_Roots_Excelurator.php
Right now i have some of Paula's seeds in the grodan cubes and it works i will take pics and show you all..
With the cubes you don't remove the seedlings or cuttings just stick them another cube or any medium hence no shock from transplanting..
This method of the cubes and special blend of nutrients is leading edge stuff and i give credit to the local pot growers :)
Right now i am going to replace my peters super bloom with this stuff i'm testing now that is just awesome and so potent all you need is a pinch of it for 5 gallons and it is more friendly to the plant roots..
I put a cotton ball in the bottom of the tube and put about an inch of Perlite then the cutting and perlite around the cutting. I like it because O don't have to worry about them falling over. As far as roots, I don't leave mine in pots that long. After they get a few good leaves I check them and pot them up. This thing is gonna work well for me the way I root mine. Others might have a different technique that works better for them but I potted up more than 100 cuttings once and the cost of perlite was unreal. Then the worry over the pots falling over. I guess if you only have a few at a time in wouldn't make much since to use it either. Although I have just two rooting in it now.
Tami
Tami, if you buy your Perlite in huge bags (bulk) from a farm supply place, it is much cheaper than in the stores. I got a bag of five cubic feet for around $12.
my perlite at home depot for 5 cu fit is 10.45 I think
that's about what I pay for the bag of perlite as well Bob up here in the panhandle Home Depots
Tami, could you give me the dimensions of one tube. That looks like a neat idea and it might work for some other things I am thinking of rooting en-mass.
MzMunchken,
The tubes are 2 1/4 X 7 1/2.
Clare and Bob,
I now buy my perlite in the big bags too but this will save space and perlite for me, plus I won't have to worry about the pots turning over. Plus since they are not real big around the heat will get to the cutting better and rooting in my mind (pea brained as it may be) will be faster. I just think this will work well for me and with the cuttings we plan on bringing back from Hawaii next month I hope to get them rooted this summer. Allen and I are just happy with this thing. I'll let everyone know how it works out. I have a Pudica and a Kool-aid rooting in it now.
Tami
Tami...do you know where to purchase them?
is there a company name on them?
This message was edited Jul 15, 2006 3:11 PM
Tami..
The reason i use grodan stone wool and why the hydro peeps also use it is because
the grodan is spun in such a way as to hold the perfect ratio of air and water..
No other medium can do this..
This ratio is very important for seeds and cuttings because of rot issues..
I started some seeds a week and half before my grodan method in soil after using the paper towel method and GB-Acid.
As of today the grodan seeds are bigger then the ones in soil..
Your method sounds great i don't know the properties of cotton synth or natural and how
it reacts to the ph level in the water..
The grodan is natural also and is design to hold the nutrients,air,and water in a perfect ratio..
I just wanted to add my 2 cents in this and i am not trying to convince anyone they should switch.
I just wanted to inform others of what methods i am currently using so it is nice to hear other methods use by other members..
Keep up the good work Tami and let us know what else you find that works..
:)
lopaka couple of things...first of all i cked the yahoo maps..i am 150 miles from Davie
..it says to take 91 from 70 at okechobiee...and than griffin blvd and i'm in Davie....does that sound right..and what kind of higway is 91..?
second on the seed method...i believe i have the best method...mainly because i can keep mine in their plastic container for 6 months and more...literally leave them alone..
be glad to share with you sometime..
..i am currently doing an net class using my method with shuts ins..sr citizens and newbies...some generous folks have given me fresh seed for the purpose...i am also doing this "class" thing locally...
.let me know about directions to davie from here palm bay..as i JUST may pop in my car and do it tomorrow ..sunday.
Lopaka, what size of the stone wool blocks are you using? I've been looking to try and root some more cuttings and am also planning on trying seeds. I might give these a try also, they look very promising.
Hey scoolie i use the mini blocks for the seeds..
As you know when the seedlings get bigger you can just put them in bigger blocks and then into the dirt which is great because you will never disturb the plant..
I get my from a local store but here is a link i found im sure there are others..
http://homeharvest.com/hydroponicmediumgrodan.htm
Here is my pic of the rockwool which i put in a ordinary orchid basket..
Nothing fancy this is just a test using Paul'a seeds of the iris sunset and mr3..
I put a lighter next to the cube so you can tell size..
http://www.whitesandsmedia.com/lopaka/20060714_0129.jpg
http://www.whitesandsmedia.com/lopaka/20060714_0139.jpg
BTW
I don't pre-soak my seeds there is no need to do that and i don't know
who invented that method..
These are not coconut or palm seeds and therfore they don't need pre-soaking..
The plumie seeds are soft bodied and don't need help with breakout as this tends to make them lazy..
Make your plant work a little and in the long run she will be a strong grower..
JL agrees with me also so don't take my word for it take his..
Remember soak the cubes overnight in plain water that is PH balance 6.0 because
all wools have lime in it and by soaking them it will disolve the lime and make the wool
a perfect ph balance..
You only have to do this once..
Then soak the wool again with your favorite blend of magic potion and just stick the seeds in the little slots in the wool perfect!
Don't water again until the wool is semi dry which will be awhile but don't worry the grodan
has the perfect ratio of air and water at all times..
Sorry Tami didn't mean to hijack your thread!
This message was edited Jul 16, 2006 12:07 AM
Hey btw lookie what i found people!!
Here are your tubes knock yourselves out..
http://kimisplumeria.com/NEW_HOME-PG.htm
Robert, I've used those cubes for rooting difficult-to-root Passifloras, and they work great! I know some people have used them over at the brug forum too.
Iopaka,
I don't mind hearing your ideas at all. I have never heard of rockwool. I root my seeds in styrofoam floating on water in a cup. It works great but with the rockwool you would not risk breaking the root getting the sprouted seed out of the styrofoam to plant. The tubes I like for cuttings. I don't do too many seeds. I will though if I get seed pods from my polinating this year.
Bob,
I would email Luc at floridacolors.com. I bet his price for the tubes will be better and they don't over charge shipping. I have never dealt with Jack.
Tami
Thank you Tami..
The rockwool is a old method use by the hydro guys and then the orchid growers adopted
it because the use of spanish moss and other brands promoted fungus and did not hold the
proper amount of water and air for the orchids to use.
The styrofoam method is actually a hydroponics method just like the rock wool, as you may know or not know in the hydro world plants are in netted pots meaning they have alot of holes in them.They look like old laundry baskets only smaller of course.Anyways the plants are in trays and a water system is flowing underneath them constantly.In the water is the grower own blend of nutrients plus they have to maintain the proper ph levels at all time.
The main difference between us as soil growers versus the hydro guys is that the soil we use holds the nutrients and the plant takes what it needs over a period of time.The hydro folks don't have the option all the plants nutrients have to come from the water and rock wool or other non-soils they use. Now because of this method "ANY" mistake in blending chemicals or other nutrients in the water will kill the plant in a matter of hours where as our soil method will be more forgiveing because we leach our pots when we water plus not all the nutrients make it to the plant it gets wash out thru the bottom..
It is because of their plant friendly products and high tech methods they use is why i explore more of their methods.The beauty of the rockwool is that it can hold any of your nutrients to help the seeds flourish where styrofoam has no holding properties.
I also use the coco method which is using coconut strains and not the wool..
All these methods work so it is a matter of taste basically so your right about not disturbing the roots with rock wool because as you know they have different sizes so you can always add cubes to the various stages of your seed or cutting growth.
BTW
The rockwool has a nice side effect i notice..
It kills alot of bugs going after my seedlings i find dead critters in the wool everyday it is like a thick cobweb in which there is no escape.
:)
This message was edited Jul 16, 2006 9:56 AM
Interesting. Sounds like one needs a book to read on the subject before attempting any of it. Well there is info on line of coarse but it looks like some study is needed in order to understand everything fully. Thanks.
Tami
Lopka, I'm gonna have to try the rockwool out. How big are the ones you use to root cuttings?
I've tried rockwool plugs several times for brug seeds without success :-(