Lots of Propagating Talk...so....

I thought I would share how I deal with propagating now...and it works really well. I also am seeing new folks on the hoya forum....

If I get an order from David Liddle or if I want to propagate a lot of cuttings...I get one of those long very shallow trays to put under those rectangular flower pots...I drill holes in the bottom and fill the bottom half with perlite and the top half with a very lose mix. I could use vermiculite too instead of the mix.

This message was edited May 24, 2007 4:38 PM

Then I take the cutting, dip in in the rooting power or whatever, and insert the cutting into the mix at an angle ( making sure that the 'node' is scrunched into the mix at least 1/4"...yes, often the rest of the cutting is on top of the mix...and often it will put out roots up there. Then I have two cuttings!!!

Depending on how many cuttings I have....I can lay them down both sides of the tray (their bottom stems will cross in the mix...and there is plenty of room in there). Cuttings of various hoyas together will have their own rooting speed, so give them plenty of time and if, when you take them out, some of the cuttings might need to go back for bigger roots, you can put them into a pot.

This message was edited May 24, 2007 4:36 PM

OR...if I want to do the cuttings one at a time....I fill a pot with perlite on the bottom and the mix on top....like I did in this glass

Then in insert it into the mix so that the bottom node is tucked deeply in.

since not everyone lives in the hoya-friendly conditions of Hawaii, I should point out to some of you that I followed these exact directions PLUS making humidity domes out of plastic bags and placing the cuttings on a heat source. I noticed a big difference in the rooting between those cuttings that had and those that did not have warmth.

don't feel as though you need to rush out to buy a heat mat. I know this is terrible, but I just sat my cuttings on my tv cable box! I just made sure that there was no way water could leak into the box.

....my heat mats only click on when the temp in the pot goes below 73deg. It rarely goes on these nights as the days are so warm and the gh retains the heat a long time. Top of the fridge is another warm area!!!

I should also mention to those of you who use the fridge, cable box, or other appliance that gives off heat.....if you have a cat, make sure they can't knock the plants to the ground. the cats are likely to be pretty miffed that their favorite warm napping spot has been hijacked

Thanks Aloha Hoya for the info, I was real interested in getting cuttings but wasn't sure how to do them.....b

Thank you....what good timing since my hoya order should be along soon (I hope). I like the step by step instructions.....even I couldn't mess up when illustrated this way.


...now, if only Dave would give us that "save this thread" button, I'd be all set.....

This message was edited May 25, 2007 2:48 PM

I would love to have one of those heat mats, but I just thought I'd mention that for the average home propagator, just rooting a dozen or so cuttings now and then for personal use, I have an almost perfect record using no bottom heat whatsoever. I don't follow the teeny tiny pot rule either, I don't use anything smaller than 4 inches. No plastic bags, no upside down glasses on top for the greenhouse effect... I also pot up in less than 6 months...hey, what can I say, I'm a rebel. In the 15 or 20 years that I grew plants before I even knew anything about them, I rooted hoya cuttings in 12" hanging baskets and they did fine. Sometimes knowing too much is a bad thing.

thanks for those instructions on the perlite and light mix for cuttings....that sounds good for a lot of plant cuttings!!! i have heating mats but i have been using the Bio Domes from Park Seed and meeting with great success on the gro-light stands...

Before I used 'proper heating mats' (because a dear friend gave me one)...DH rigged a clever aparatus:

Bottom layer was large discarded floor tiles
Then a wet/dry 'human' heating pad to which he rigged a thermostat
On top of the mat was a cookie sheet (With a rim of about 1")
In the cookie sheet was fine gravel - evenly distributed the heat.
On top of the fine gravel I would put the pots.

Water never touched the heatmats..they were never even damp.
Used this for 2 years...worked just fine......

I have two 60" connected to one thermostat....the only requirement was that you place them on a non insulating surface....so I used styrofoam and wrapped the edges with duck tape...the mats lay on top of that....then it doesn't matter is the mats get water on them (although you wouldn't want so much that it dripped to the end of each mat where the electrical cord is)....but in the winter time I always just put the pots with holes in the bottom straight on the mats under gro=lights...

Carol, thanks a bunch for this info. I've noted before that the perlite you use is much larger than what I can get in the big box stores. Do you order it? May I ask your source and some pricing info?
Thanks! (both for the info and for the good tips)

Barb

Barb...I buy that perlite at a Nursery Supply house...it is called #3 and made by PHROC (I think that's it). You might go on line... I do know that Awanda found a source so perhaps you could ask her...or Tami Franks who also uses it....

Wish I could help more....

Carol

I'll go look for it now and if I can't find it, give them a shout. Thanks!

As I worked in the greenhouse today I thought of something ...

Regardless of what you have heard, been told, think...try it anyway!!!!

For instance: The general rule is that new tender stems of a vine will not root. Mostly true. NOT true for cv. Ruthie. She will root. I have rooted bare vines and I have lost bare vines trying to root them. Usually if they have at least one leaf and are not green and not old wood, they will root.

Try it. Listen to your gut and what you think might work...

It usually does.

I would much rather have new vines to root than old growth vines!

I would rather propagate than what the final results brings.....
I do love the finished product .....just mean that I love to propagate any plant!!!

well I have to go and pick up some perlite asap for the new hoya cuttings - I *just* ran out. And I only noticed yesterday.

Has anyone tried using diatomite as a rooting medium? I put some already-rooting hoyas into a CHC & diatomite mix (with charcoal and stuffs) and some of them are loving it. Some people have reported good success and good root growth with orchid flasklings on a bed of diatomite, so now I'm wondering about diatomite. But I wouldn't want to risk it on new hoya cuttings unless someone else has already done it...,