I thought i would share this discovery....I had put these two cuttings in my SemiHydro mix (black lava cinders, perlite and hydroton) and into a ziplock bag. I did not know that the cuttings popped out of the cup...and this is how I found them when I opened the ziplock a week later.....
Roots forming....
Very cool, Carol!
So, intense moisture is the key to roots forming.
Lately, I've been rooting my cuttings in semi-hydroponics, hydroponically - that is after setting up the cutting in hydroton, I completely fill the container with water and when it evaporates down to 1", invariably there are roots. Its a lot simpler than potting the plant up and putting it in a sealed bag and unsealing and spritzing and checking and hoping it doesn't rot or mold.
But! The last batch of cuttings I got came at a time when I was really busy and didn't have time even to do that, so I just put the bare cuttings into their own plastic bag, spritzed them, sealed them up and hoped. After only a few days, most had roots started. In a week, they all did.
I'm beginning to realize that pretty much any rooting method will work with these lovelies.
Christine
Moist and AIR are the important things, I am learning...I think?
Yep- this cutting of H. clemensiorum made as many roots above the hydoroton as in it- as I started opening the bag gradually to expose the new plant to cooler/drier air, the roots above the hydroton stopped growing and turned darker, while the ones in the hydroton went crazy and started growing wildly.
Carol,
Thats amazing. Were do I get this SemiHydro mix? And after the plant is rooted do you use this as the potting soil?
Personally, as I pot and repot, I throw away the old medium...but those pellets and the perlite are expensive and it is a bore to sift cinder...so....
I save the old medium in a bucket... From time to time I sift that old soil with a screen box I made and really all that is left are the hydroton pellets/cinder/perlite.... I put what saves out into another bucket that has Physan in water (Physan is a disinfectant/antifungicidal soap used in nurseries and hospitals to kill bad germs. Then I pour the water and medium thru the sifter I was using...rinse it with fresh water and add it to my potting mix. For rooting I use fresh....I am really happy...my H. linearis I was trying to drown is recovering beautifully and has big fat roots. OH...here is a plant I repotted today that was growing in oNLY Hydroton/perlite. Came out in a neat little package! Much cleaner.
Betty...you can find Hydroton at any Hydroponic Growing Supplies store...You can buy it on line too.
Carol, that's a good looking root ball. Have you changed how you water as your mix has gotten lighter?
Definitely...and the problem for me is that not all are in Semi-Hydro. I water much less, actually and they are doing much much better!!!
