Ok..this is driving me crazy...i have tried buying rooting tubes and no response from emails to companies sent...i ask some folks here and they tell me they don't know where to get them..but than they say they are using them?....rofl....so while at the gym...i see all these empty plastic water//gatorade type bottles...we've got to have someone here who is clever enough to tell us how to turn these bottles into rooting tubes?...C'mon gang..I know you can come up with the answer
Plastic Bottles into Rooting Tubes
I bet Michael will have an answer for you; doesn't he use water bottles for his seedlings?
I think you have to call Florida Colors to order the rooting tubes and pay by credit card. They don't always answer their email.
I tried the water-bottle method and didn't like it. Even with good drainage holes, the condensation kept the medium too wet for me, but it would probably dry fast if put on a heat mat so it might not be bad that way. They need support to keep from falling over so you would need a tray of some sort. I just prefer to root my cuttings in one-gallon containers so that I don't have the added step of transferring them until they are ready for five-gallon containers.
Are you looking for these?
or these?
Okay, here's my 2 cents worth. When I root in a water bottle, I use perilite and plunge the bottle halfway in the ground. Mist lightly everyday and watch for roots. I got this method from Eva who has used this method for several years, with very good success.
ah..yes...good help...Randy good to see you...beern wondering how you've been...i was looking for the second pic ones of yours....i appreciate all the help...i'm improvising some things....i can see where plunging into the ground would help.
clare that is correct about the transferring method...it's just that i have such small space..that i often gang root in a container..usually about 15 to 20 in a container...i found that the ones on the outer perimeter of the container had great roots but one in middle less......kind of like things on outer edges of dish cook faster in the microwave than do those in the middle...
This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 11:39 AM
Bob, I hope you found some. I love mine for the heat reason. I think they will root faster for me.
Tami
tami...yes lots of help from all..thanks so much and appreciate everyone's kindness
Randy, who is your source for the second picture you posted? Thanks for bringing this up Bob
Bob, I tried gang-rooting this past spring, and it worked really well until it came time to separate them all. I think I broke off quite a bit of roots separating them. Jim Little showed gang-rooted cuttings in his book, and the cuttings' roots were really entwined in his picture. I don't know how one can manage to separate them without breaking off a lot of the roots; otherwise, you are right that it is a really nice space saver. I'll probably continue to gang-root and just pull them out sooner before the roots get tangled together.
Nice rooted cuttings and pictures, Randy! I'm amazed that the rooted cutting in the first picture is staying upright without tipping over.
Hi Carolyn! I don't know if you saw my post earlier, welcoming you to Dave's and the Plumie Forum! I see that you just joined here at the end of June:-) It's nice to see you here.
clare i have had great success with the gang rooting...i do put them in very, very large containers..but the ones in the middle didn't root as well....i kind of pushed on the outside of the containers to loosen the roots...but i can see how they could get inter twined