Rooting cuttings ...

I finally ... yes! FINALLY cut the Bush Morning Glory back. I have quite a few cuttings that I am now trying to root in water. Ironically, the bush never bloomed for me until today! And this is a piece in water that is blooming!

And it is producing new leaves lower on each stem as the older leaves turn yellow and drop.

Does anyone know how long these cuttings takes to produce roots? I am going to plant the rooted cuttings in my flower beds towards the back of the garden bed near the fence. I like the dark pink flowers! What other color of blooms does this species of plant produce?

The older leaves are dying and it is producing new leaves already! This species is quite amazing how fast the growth is! I wonder if it is going to produce roots fast, too?

hi Becky, did you say in a previous thread the Type of MG bush you are doing a cutting from? THANKs btw, the seeds are here safe and cool for the tim being~ though much caressed, lol~ I would love to try cuttings, do that ALL the time with my Passis...It made a gorgeous flower!!! SATINY.....I gopt the Last of my big seed monsters down today into plastic wrap...
:D

Hi Becky, pretty sure they come in white as well.. be sure to put some peroxide in the water.. you will love growing from cuttings! Debra

Becky, that last photo with the yellowing leaf, that looks like a textbook photo of Magnesium deficiency. Yellowing leaf with the oldest veins making a dark green xmas tree pattern of dark green in the background. If these already had roots, you could put a little epsom salts in there and see the difference from day to day as it turns greener again. A plant with foliage symptoms, if it has roots on it will recover so fast with epsom salts, it may amaze you, such a quick simple cure.

Also, because the entire stem is long fibers glued together, they tend to wick the
moisture in one direction, towards the top of the stem. It would be good for the cuttings to put some glue on the cut at the top of each stem to seal it and help prevent the natural drying out that will take place. It doesn't matter what kind of glue. Elmers would be great.

If you cut the stem straight across, at 90 degrees, like the end of a brand new pencil, then the cut end is 100% of the cross section. This is the part that is going to absorb moisture and send it up the stem to support the remaining leaves during the rooting time. Ideally, you should cut the bottom of the stem at a slant, and increase this crossection surface area to 300% of the cross section. If the top is glued and the bottom is cut at a slant, you will probably have less leaves falling off. In addition, if you have put any root stimulant into the water, you have 3 times the wound surface area to take it up the stem.

Sometimes, when I know I am going to make cuttings or layer something, I mix some dipngrow with a splat of Elmers and mix it thoroughly with a popsicle stick. Then I paint this gluy stuff onto the joints where I am going to make my cuts. If it is a woody stem, cut a tiny amount of bark off, and put the glue there.
This will give you an advantage when you do do the cutting process, several days later.

A couple year ago, a friend gave me a pot of Blue Dawn. Late last fall, I fount that it had sent out a vine to the coolness of the window, where the stem got much thicker, than those on the rest of the plant. THIS MEANS IT WANTS TO ROOT NOW. So I did the elmers glue trick I just mentioned, and three days later severed the vine. Then I cut the vine up in 2" pieces. Each piece of vine had one leaf, right in the middle of it. I put them in a clear plastic cup full of fine potting mix, quite moist. It was kind of cute. I pushed the bottom of the stems down in the cup, completely covering the base of the leaf node. You are not going to believe this, but it is true. 3 days later I added water to it, and it already had white roots up against the plastic cup where you could easily see them. Hope this helps Frank

Darren - The Bush Morning Glory is this one: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/52996/
which is named Ipomoea carnea. They have clusters of blooms on them and have sturdy trunks and stems as bushes do.

Debra - Oh! Thanks for reminding me about the peroxide. I completely forgot. Will add some to the water! :-)

Frank - Thank you for all the detailed information about rooting cuttings in water! I will apply some of what you shared to see if it does indeed help them do better! Thanks for sharing that info!

Thanks for the name Becky; and Frank ~ Thank you too, for those tips in cuttings...thats great stuff!!!
:D

Frank, thanks for the tip/// I wondered why the stems grew out and got so thick.. I had planted some of them and now I have little plants.. will pass on this info to my garden club..

Howdy Debra,
I have not heard of peroxide in water for cuttings. Does that benefit other plant cuttings as well as the MG bush Becky is working on?
thanks~!

Darren: oh yess peroxide puts oxygen into the plants system and kills fungus as well.. ( I use it in all my watering cans, mixes and cutting tubs) for all cuttings and seed soaks

This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 1:59 PM

I am so thankful, I used it for seed soaking, but not cuttings~Yeah!! ...today was worth getting up outta bed, I got a chance to learn something new~!!
Danke!

I use a few drops of 7% Iodine, til the water has a slight yellow tinge to it, as a fungicide, and I find it to last at least two weeks. When the fizz goes out of the
peroxide, I lose my faith in it, and I have proven the iodine to last for 2 weeks at least. I got the iodine at a feed store to cure ring worm on calves. One application and they were completely clean again. Frank

I almost put iodine in my mix.. the next mix time is next weekend.. I will put the iodine in and trust my senses when I feel them from now on.. thanks Frank.. sure do learn alot on here! ;D

exciting news on this thread. thanks all.

It is time for an up date. How are your I. carnea cuttings coming?

Here is a photo of all the cuttings. All have roots growing on them. I can't wait to plant these around my garden beds and enjoy the flowers this year! I want to see lots and lots of flowers. Sun-loving flowers everywhere ...

A closer view of the roots.

That is a great job , Becky.. fantastic results!

Thank you, Debra. I am surprised that every single cutting rooted in water. Pretty hardy and impressive MG bush cuttings! :-)

do you have pictures of the tops there Becky?

Debra - The first photo I posted does show the tops. They were cut into pieces. They are just starting to leaf out. Went into shock when they were cut. I need to get them into the ground or in pots very soon! :-)

okay i see them but I guess I need a closer look LOL

I want a morning glory bush lol but not good in my zone