I got such a wonderful box from Gail yesterday! All kinds of goodies! Thank you so much, Gail! You're such a sweetie! :o)
Here are all those great mini leaves. I've never put them down like this before, so I hope it works. I think it will help keep the humidity up with them all being together like this.
And just look at all these Strep leaves, Chirita leaves, and two Episcia 'Teddy Bear' stolons. Yay! This was just what I needed to get me off my rear and back to repotting and propagating.
I believe I've cleaned up and fixed the problems from my "roots lack vitality" issue. I've decided that it was crown rot, caused by letting my AVs get too dry, then too wet, and back and forth. I'm really concentrating on even moisture now, so hopefully that's a problem I won't have again. I did a bleach soak on all the leaves from the plants that were having problems before I put them down, so keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll not have anymore problems. I bleached all the trays and lids, too.
Anyway, here's a picture of the rest of the leaves that Gail sent me, getting their first drink. That's fish emulsion that makes the water look so yucky...stinks, too, but only while they're sitting in it. Again, thank you sooo much, Gail! :o)
I never even saw this thread......I am now rooting episcias and streps just like you are doing, but I am going back to straight vermiculite for av leaves.....works for me better....they tend to rot in the mixture I use for self wicking,etc.
glad you are 'getting back into it'.....can't miss out on the fun!!!
I just posted it this morning Gail, then went and replied to several other threads, so it got bumped down the list.
I've never rooted anything in straight vermiculite. Maybe I'll try a couple that way to see how they do. Isn't it fun sharing new ideas?
looks like fun!
I regularly root leaves in a tray like that - just don't let it get overgrown....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/sets/358706/
Ki, I don't understand why I can take cuttings of any kind, put them in that self wicking mix I use and make anything grow, including episcias, chiritas, etc....But I have no success when I attempt av or strep wedges in that mix....they rot......
I guess i will just keep putting av leaves down in solo cups in straight vermiculite.....
oh, join the club. I can't do strep leaves..... I keep meaning to try again. and again.
My last attempt was in winter as I thought maybe cool temps would work better (YES for the succulent leaved chirita leaves, which have been another nemesis of mine, NO for the streps).
Also tried 100% perlite for strep leaves - still no go.
And tried 50:50 of perlite and vermiculite, which is the medium of choice for columnea cuttings. No luck there either.
Next I will try water+aspirin, as well as long fibre sphag. Don't have many more options at this point, lol.
I've tried rooting leaves in straight vermiculite and they rot. I know vermiculite holds a lot of water, so maybe thats been my problem, too wet so that they get soggy and rot! How about Perlite? Can leaves be rooted in just perlite? Or is that too light? I have always used the soil/perlite mix, and sometimes leaves make it and sometimes they don't. Trial & Error I guess.
I tried rooting Strep and Chirita leaves only once with no luck! Can Episcia leaves be rooted like AV leaves or do they only get propagated by the stolons?
I like to take my episcia cuttings from the main stem.....then you have a mighty big plant which then blooms easily.....I still put down the stolon in 1/2 perlite and 1/2 soil-less mix.....
I am going to try this week to put down strep leaves about 3 or 4" long using the entire leaf in this same mix and see what happens.....Snowrose can do the wedges beautifully in this same mix......I am afraid mine are rotting.....
It was fun, Ki! Really got me back in gear. I've been repotting and putting down leaves again today. And I'm glad to see that the tray idea will work. :o) You're worrying me about those Chirita leaves, though, as I so desperately want them to be prolific. I'll keep a close eye on them. I've read that treating them the same as AV leaves is quite successful for some people, so that's where I'm starting. Time will tell...
Lin, begoniacrazii roots lots of her cuttings (begonias, AV leaves, etc) in straight perlite, I believe, and from the pictures of some of the stuff she grows, her entire hands must be green, not just her thumbs! I can't use straight perlite or I'd have to water them a dozen times a day.
oh, mention of begoniacrazii reminds me.
Another mix for me to try on the strep leaves is chopped sphag + perlite. Yes, I should try that too.....
I bought that bag of LFS and haven't used the first speck of it. I might get it out today and plant something in it. I want to repot that Petrocosmea, but now that it is actually doing something, I'm afraid to mess with it! LOL
I did successfully root petrocosmea leaves in LFS, as well as some AV leaves and I'm not sure what else..... the Pet leaves in sphag grew much faster than the ones in the usual 1:1:1 mix..... Just another idea for what you might put in it ;-)
You had suggested that I repot it in LFS before we left, but I never had time. I'll probably do that today. It's nowhere near big enough to take leaves from, so I couldn't try that. I think what's helped it more than anything is the increased humidity, so I'll put it in the LFS and keep a lid on it. At this point, I don't see that it could hurt. I'm quite anxious to see if it has put out any new roots, anyway. It had next to none for the longest.
I got some Strep Seeds (Daniel Xself) from Jannich last month and planted some in soil/perlite mix and some in LFS. The ones in the soil mix are sprouting, but nothing yet in the LFS. I'm at the stage now where I need advice on the ones that are sprouting in soil. They are real teensy so I guess I should just leave them in there til they grow up a a lot more?
Here's a pic ... not many came up ... but I would sure Love it if I could keep these alive to grow up to mature plants! I don't know if it'll happen, but I'm hoping!
I hope to get some seedling care done tomorrow - I've let some languish a bit... - so I'll take pix. I baked my mix last night (forgot to turn it off so it baked all night) although I usually don't do it for non-seeds - I was getting a lot of algae growth from this bag.
And I'm out of perlite! I'll have to go find some again :(
Wanting to weigh in on propagating strep leaves. I have never had any luck doing them with the method where you remove the midrib and then place the halves (midrib side) down in the rooting medium. Mine have rotted !))% every time that way. Fine by me. I don't need to do mass production. I need the midrib and I don't care that it produces fewer that way.
Congratulations on your seedlings, Lin!
That's a beautiful collection of leaves gail shared with you.
Your method looks good ,too.
I can't do anything with strep leaves..lol I've tried ever which way and they don't do much. I got one batch of babies up & then poof they were gone. I gave up on growing them period.I don't have the patience for things that don't grow easily for me. I did have fun pollinating a couple if I can remember where I put the seedsin the move I'd be happy to share them with someone who really loves them..lol Just dmail me.
I love LFS mixtures for almost anything I do cuttings of it really works for me. I mix it with my av mix , perlite & charcoal for the lil terrariums.That's the only thing my strep leaves grew in.
MsC
Lin, those Strep seedlings look great! I'd leave them be for now, since they're still so small, and there are probably more seeds yet to germinate. As they get a little larger, gently use a toothpick to disturb the soil around the roots a little bit. Ki gave me that tip, and it really does help them grow faster. Once they're large enough to handle, you should repot them every two weeks. That makes them grow faster, too. There's a thread on here, I believe, showing the results of repotting every two weeks. Quite amazing! I'll try to find it for you.
Ki, is baking the mix better than microwaving it? I usually decide at the last minute to repot or put down leaves, so baking would interfere with my last minute plans, but I guess I could plan ahead if I have to. LOL I'm almost out of perlite, too, and nowhere close by sells it. I have to go all the way to town for it.
Snow, I've tried the remove-the-midrib method several times and I have a 100% failure rate at it, too. But, loving to experiment like I do, I tried it again with a couple extra pieces I cut off the leaves I put down. I'd never use that method exclusively on a leaf I didn't already have a plant of, but I figured it can't hurt to try it again.
MsC, it's so interesting to me that you and Ki grow so many beautiful plants, but you both have trouble with Strep leaves. I think it must have something to do with your environments that neither of you can control or correct. I've only grown one Strep by leaf, and that was by accident. I didn't mean to snap the leaf off, so I just picked it up and stuck it in the pot by the mom plant. It grew a baby! That's the Midas I sent to Gail. We'll see how these work for me...I have high hopes for them. I have pretty good luck with Strep seeds. I'd love to try some of yours if you find them.
Since LFS is supposed to have some antifungal properties, does it have a preventive effect against crown rot and such if it is mixed in the soil? I repotted my Petrocosmea into LFS today. It did have more roots than the last time I check, but still not as many as I had hoped for or would feel comfortable with. I put down a couple teeny tiny AV babies in LFS, too, and a couple of the ones I stripped the leaves off and cut the roots off of, I wrapped LFS around the stem and put that down into the potting mix. I figured, what could it hurt? LOL
what are you ladies talking about when you say LFS???????
Amy, I can't speak for Key but I like to think of my inablilities with certain plants with my garden mantra in place:
You're not a real gardener until you've killed at least one of every kind...at least then the shock has worn off & you can be brave with the next plant inline..lol
The LFS really works for me I use it almost exclusively when I put leaves down, especially with the tiny minatures. I have had 99% sucess rate since I started using it. terrariums/ or the type of treatment has been another very useful tool for me.
For me, my troubles with crown rot stopped when Idid 2 things:
1st ~stopped watering with less than warm water
2nd ~Started using the AV self watering pots.
But who knows maybe it was the garden fairies showing me mercy???
MsC
Long Fiber Spaghnum
Sorry Gail...that's rude of us...Long Fibered Spaghnum moss
Please forgive??
MsC
Oh, I tried a Strep Leaf one time too ... with slicing it down the midrib .... died almost as soon as I put the thing in the potting medium!
I didn't know you could root them by the stem method ... must try that!
Oh, and .... is it possible to propagate plants using nothing but LFS?? Do you just wrap it around the stem and stick it in a pot and keep it moist? And what about leaves ... stick the stem down into the LFS and keep it moist too? I gotta try it! A lot cleaner than using soil/perlite mix.
Amy: Thanks for the answers to my questions about the Strep seedlings! I am amazed that they sprouted for me! I've grown a lot of things from seed, but for some reason was a bit nervous about the Streps and now, I'm nervous about the Sinningia seeds that I need to sow. It is a lot of fun, and so exciting when you get little plantlets sprouting up! Then, I start worrying that they won't grow big and strong. Another DG'er sent me seeds for Pride of Barbados Tree ... I sowed them, they sprouted and I was sooo happy, then one day they were dead! Don't know what happened! I was so disappointed! Same thing happened when I collected a bunch of seeds from my Pink and also my White Oleander trees ... sprouted, looked real cute ... then died! Seems like the "Special" plants I want to grow from seed don't like me much! I am just crossing my fingers and toes that my Streps survive and grow and also that when I plant these Sinningia seeds they do well too.
Have I told y'all how much I appreciate all the Wonderful Advice I get for all you ladies! You just don't know how much it means!
((((( Hugs to you all )))))
Lin
Love that name .... "Rob's Tippy Toe" - Tooooo Cute! Is that a mini? I don't know why, but the name to me sounds like it would be!
I think, Amy, that you may have hit it on the head. Others have told me to stick strep leaves (not de-ribbed) into the pot. Unfortunately, most people keep their streps watered a bit better than me - mine frequently wilt until you can see the pot shape through the foliage before I get around to watering them. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/261357000/in/set-72157594313849918/
That's actually how I got the Chirita leaves to root. I put them down, uncovered, but I put the pots in a tub that has a capillary mat in it (without a reservoir). The capillary mat extends the moist period for a few extra days so that instead of spending days and days dry, the pots only are thirsty for a couple of days between waterings. That worked out well.
I tried that on a strep leaf (about 3" off the top of one) but no luck :-(
The big cautionary note on LFS is that it will break down into sludge in a few months. And all the roots will be intertwined with it (gessies have fine fibrous roots) so you have this sour mass of sludge/brick (depending on whether it's wet or dry). I really do recommend using chopped LFS and mixing it with perlite....
Here's a pic of a begonia cutting that I rooted in LFS.... this will turn to pure sludge in about a month and start smelling sour.
and here's a closeup. This is going to be painful when I have to repot and give it new medium.
If I had chopped the LFS up a bit (which in my case is ripping it apart with my bare hands, lol) then it would wash out.
Yes, Lin that's a mini...it's so darn cute! I've had those darlings in that lil tray since last summer!!! They are planted in LFS and perlite...I think I did lift the whole batch and add some real AV mix under it all for some "food" for the roots...lol
I just can't keep up with everything I need to get into bigger pots.Whn I do get it all together I'll have lots of trade/gift material . I'm just so dad darn slow sometimes..lol
to answer your question yes you CAN use just the LFS for growing in but remember there is NO food in it so if you don't gentle feed them afte rthey get going they kind just sit there. It's also best if you use LFS in a terrarium type container -cause when it dries out ...it's DRY!!!!
Hope that's helpful??
MsC
Oh my goodness, Ki......i ordered some of that from Violet Show Case when I ordered supplies.....I have to try rooting something in it......is that a cane begonia of some kind or a rex.....i am not trying to do a rex..... pure neat looking!!! roots galore
I love these thread where we are having one big party cross typing....the more the merrier!!!
Lin...if you wanted to try the rexes that is exactly how I grow my rex babies...actually almost everything can be rooted this way .It's nice to remember it's just another way to try if, things are not working for you.
Also Key is right I prefer my LFS mix with a almost equal amount of perlite & charcoal added to it. It helps it from compacting & going "sour".
MsC
edited for spelling good grief!
This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 8:49 PM
that begonia is Tom Thumb. Mucho hugs to begoniacrazii.....
Ah yes Gail It's nice to get to chat with everyone...when i finally ge ton its usually so late everyone is in bed.:( I'm a night owl...lol
MsC
except me, possibly. I'm usually up til 2, although I am really really really trying to get to sleep earlier so I can get up earlier so I can get to work earlier so I can leave work earlier.....
I am going to look up a close up picture of Tom Thumb....thanks for the Id....
LOL.. yes I remember those days of working...glad I'm retired for the moment!
You're right! begoniacrazy is awesome & I sure wish she'd make an appearance everyonce in a while!
MsC
This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 8:51 PM
MsC .... Thank You! I remember reading on a thread awhile back where someone talked about using chopped LFS and she said she used a Food Processor .... I don't have a Food Processor, so I just didn't bother with it. Now, I hear Key saying she shreds it by hand! Will have to do that .... Thanks Ki. I have a few orchids that I've had for about 8-10 years and they never seemed to do well for me so a couple of years ago I took them all out of the bark/charcoal mixture and put them in straight LFS. They began to do a lot better. Right now the aren't looking so hot cause we were gone for a week and I didn't want to have to ask the housesitter to water my many plants! We wanted her to make our 4 kitties the priority since 2 of them had been sick. It's been VERY dry down here in Florida so, needless to say ... all my plants were VERY wilted when we returned. I watered everything well when we got back after being gone for 7 days and yesterday we FINALLY had a good pouring rain, so everything got dragged out to enjoy the water! All will recover in time. I watered everything inside and all the AV's, Chiritas and couple of Streps and Episcia's real well before we left and I just left the lights off on the plant stands while we were gone. Everything seemed to survive fine for 7 days! Someone told me "You could just put all your plants into a bathtub and cover them in plastic while you are away! I laughed so hard! I would need probably 50 bathtubs for all my plants! I guess I could have asked Hubby to drain the pool of the Chlorine water, put a an inch or so of fresh water in there and covered the entire pool in plastic .... for a Mini In-Ground Greenhouse! :) I think I will mention that to him for the next time we go away ..... hee hee, I can see him rolling his eyes now!
Lin you are so welcomed!
LMBO at filling the swimming pool... too funny!
I use a pair of sisscors...lol
I have to cut up mop string for the canaries nest from time to time, so I just get a bowl & chop away at it while watching TV with hubby. It works ok .It keeps my hands busy so I'm not eating something all the time..lol
MsC
