HELP me! (please?)

I have these eriostemma cuttings to strike and don't know which end to plant! Can anyone tell me which end is up? I appriciate your time, thanks and God bless. -joanne

here is a closer view of the top node.

When in doubt I always lay them sideways. Clip them down and moisten. I'm in doubt more times then not. LOL!!!

Jeri

Jeri, thank you and I will do that if I have to but I have limited space in my 'incubator' and use tall narrow pots.

I am going to bank your idea to use in the future! I can usualy tell which end is up except with the eriostemmas.

The first hoya I started as cuttings was a macgillivrayi I got in an epi trade with a man from Hawaii. I had no idea which end to plant so I planted both! I still have one cutting that has both ends planted like a hoop. It's growing well so I just leave it.

THanks again Jeri! -joanne

Glad I could help. I do that with anything I can't figure out. Bulbs, seeds, etc. This year Lotus tubers?? I started doing that after learning about air layering.

I'm so forgetful that when I dig something up or take a cutting I've started marking the bottom so I don't have that problem.

Jeri

Joanne...In your second picture, there is a little 'bud' visible at the top of the node...between the leaf and the stem. That is the growth point...= that is the UP end.

Carol

Thank you! That is what I thought but wanted someone else to say so! -joanne

Carol has eagle eyes!

That is indeed a tricky cutting. Usually with my Hoyas I follow the tops of the leaves, rarely do they lead me astray. When I can't read the leaves I look for thickness of the stem on each end, fatter, and more woody brown growth usually means older therefore I guess bottom. Sometimes, like in your instance, I just don't know and I usually just guess. Is this bad? How much does it really matter which end gets sunk if they both look so similar? Is there really a "true" top and bottom or are Hoyas forgiving in this matter?

Take care.

I have H fraterna potted upsidedown and its growing nicely - it was many many months before I saw new growth though, and the first tendril (growing from "beneath" the leaf) dried up and fell off.

Christine

No...it really doesn't matter...unless you leave part of the node out of the ground...I always bury the node at least 1/4". The roots will grow and the growth will find the light, albeit a bit slower sometimes.

I also look at width of vine...also if there are growth points...also on the thin stemmed ones I look for the tiny little aerial rootlets that usually appear just below the node, not on the top of it. Get to know nodes by looking at your plants...and you can usually see that the top has a bit of a "shoulder" to it...

Luck has a lot to do with it!!! HAHAHA