Ok I just got my leafs from the AV trade and I did the wicking and some of them are getting soft they have been in the water ( the string) scents I got them does any one no what I should do should I take them out of the water (The string) and let them dry alittle. Here is a picture to help see what I am talking about
Kim
From your photo, it looks as if your soil mix might be holding too much water. What do you have your leaves planted in? The soil medium must be very light for wicking. Here is what I do;
I use plastic pots.
My wick mix is - 1 part quality bagged peat based potting soil (ProMix, Sunshine, MiracleGro, JiffyMix, etc.) - 2 parts coarse perlite - 1 part coarse vermiculite
I keep my rooting leaves covered with a clear baggie, dome, etc.
I hope this helps a little. If your leaves aren't mush, you can remove them and cut away the rotten brown stem portion and try again if you have enough of the leaf stem (petiole) to work with.
I mix peat moss, perlite,MiracleGro,vermiculit I put rooting compound on the stem and they are in a clay pot. I just checked the leaf, its gone I think I will try the bagies on them .But you keep them in water all the time with the string only in the water. It seems like they are just to wet.Well in Sept I started leafs and they are just comimg up so maybe I should do it that way I hate to kill all my New AV's Thanks for the help
Kim
Dimmer, I don't know if I am right, but I cut the petiole down to less than 1/2".......I have been successful......here is a picture.....let me find one.....then I keep a cover on them for a while until i think they are rooting....under gro-lights at the highest level because it is warmer up 'there'
PS edited to say that you have to be careful when rooting anything that you have the proper volume of soil....with a leaf you could easily use a 2" av pot or I buy those 3 oz. solo cups at the grocery store (you know, the ones people put in dispensers at the lavatory in baths)
Too much volume of soil makes it much more difficult to root....
This message was edited May 11, 2007 8:40 PM
I use a mix of 1 part potting soil (Miracle Grow, usually) and two to three parts perlite. I use a lot of perlite in my soil so it will drain well. I also use the wick method. I have never bagged or covered my leaves, but we have high humidity down here in Florida. I tried the baggie and plastic cover method at one time, but there was just too much moisture and the leaves rotted. When you use the wicking method, the plant takes up what water it needs through the wick, but if your soil is too "heavy" which I'm assuming yours is, it will hold way too much water and your leaves will turn to mush. I think since you are using Peat Moss as well as Vermiculite you should use much, much more perlite to make the mix lighter. I think the Peat Moss and Vermiculite hold too much water for rooting leaves.
Lin
