Is there a brand one can by at the local Home Depot, Lowe's, or Wal-Mart that may fit the bill for freshly rooted cuttings? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)
Mike
What's a good potting mixture for freshly rooted cuttings?
I've used the Miracle Grow brand of potting mix, but not the moisture retension one. It stays wet for too long. I think any good brand would do. What is more important is that you don't put the cutting in too large a container. I use 3" pots that are 5" deep. Some use 16 oz sized plastic cups with holes punched on the bottom. As soon as the roots have filled that small pot, you can pot up to a gallon sized pot. Potting up to a gallon contain will depend on whether the cutting's roots have enough time to fill the smaller pot and then enough time to fill a good portion of the gallon container before you have to overwinter the cutting. Where do you plan to overwinter the cutting? You may have to leave it in the small pot until next spring. One of the fastest ways to kill a Brug cutting is to place it in a pot full of soil without roots in it too take up the water. The soil stays wet for too long and the roots rot.
Betty,
I've been using the Miracle Grow brand with the three month supply of fertilizer. Is this a good mixture for tender Brug cuttings? I've been told I shouldn't use it due to the fertilizer content. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Mike
I use the same MG Mike does... Mine do great!
Betty, thanks for the info on pot size!
I'm using Uncle Malcoms organic. Can only get it from nurseries. Drains well which is good for the young plants and cuttings. I used to use the Sunshine brand, but it stayed to wet, and was more acidic. I don't know if these brands are national or just in California.
Miracle Grow seems to vary year to year. I tried it a couple years ago and it stayed mucky for a long time. I remember using it for my roses in pots 3-4 years ago, and it was fine. Been afraid to try it since the mucky incident.
I mix all my own now from scratch, but Gordo's suggestion is an excellent one. You could even add more perlite for the first rooting stage, maybe equal parts potting soil to perlite.
I also use the 16 oz cups with holes in the bottom, they're perfect for rooting.
I once spent a fortune on a 50% perlite potting mix I purchased at our local organic nursery and eventually had to repot all the Brugs I had planted in it. The perlite rose to the top leaving the heavier and denser material at the bottom where it stayed too wet. I switched to the MG and haven't had a problem yet. I'm not too crazy about it, but is one of the better ones available here in my area (rural/small town Texas). Mike, since Brugs are heavy feeders, the fertilizer (slow release) in the MG doesn't seem to hurt them at all.
I know what you mean Betty it's really annoying when it does that, not too bad though unless you're a really heavy waterer. In my mix I actually use about 40/60 perlite/pumice as an additive instead of 100% perlite. It stays put. :)
Pumice is harder to obtain unless I go into Austin. I wonder if it could be used intead of perlite with the same results.
Yes it can! :) I know of some great super-premium mixes that use only pumice, no perlite. I like to use a mix of both because the perlite holds a tiny bit more air, and when they're mixed together I don't have the floating perlite problem. Although, I think either one could be used just fine at 100%.
I buy Walmart brand Expert, I like it as well as Miracle Grow, it cost less and I amend to suit. I am spoiled, I live near a huge worm farm, I buy worm compost as they call it by the ton, I mix with the expert, bone meal and perlite. I have had wonderful results.
I use Jungle Growth from Lowe's.It hasnt failed me yet.
I would use Jungle growth too if I could get it. I love that stuff, but my Lowe's no longer carries it. I would however still add my worm poo.
Wow! Alot of great suggestions & ideas! I just don't like the idea of knowing the newly rooted cuttings are sitting in their pots possibly drowning! I use the 16 oz cups with holes in the bottom. A good draining - fast drying mixture is what I was attempting to find. (a mixture for Brugs specifically would be great). haha! I'm going to try a few ways some of you have mentioned & possibly a couple of new brands of mixture. Adding 50% Perlite for aeration sounds like it could be something to try. The Jungle Growth sounds like it could be a winner. I'm glad the fertilizer (slow release) in the Miracle Grow doesn't hurt them - that was a big concern I had. Thanks to each of you for your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. I appreciate it! :)
