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pearlgirl_gw

rooting cuttings

pearlgirl
12 years ago

I have no problem rooting cuttings, nor, storing and

rooting over winter, however, I'm wondering if there is anything at all that I can add to the water to help

the rooting process of some very small cuttings that I

rec'd in a trade. These are quite tiny, but...very special

ones that I really don't want to loose. Any ideas?

Margaret

Comments (16)

  • kasha77
    12 years ago

    I would add a little peroxide or Listerine (it has the ingredient thymol which comes from the herb thyme, is an anti septic) to keep them from rotting- works for me! Are they green or hardwood? Good luck! :)

  • Cherie12
    12 years ago

    I always use peroxide in mine. Never have had a problem. Hmmmmmm Listerine you say....... Now I have never tried that but think I shall.

  • karyn1
    12 years ago

    I wouldn't root them in water. Very thin and/or green stems do much better for me in a solid rooting medium, whether it be sphagnum, perlite or soil. I have problems with soft cuttings rotting in water, even when an antiseptic and/or fungacide is used. Good luck with whatever method you use.

  • kasha77
    12 years ago

    You're right Karyn- I agree- I guess I didn't read the post very carefully! I usually place all cuttings in water at first right after cutting them to make sure they are hydrated, then after a day or so pot them up. Good luck! :)

  • ruthz
    12 years ago

    How much peroxide do you use?
    I've always rooted my cuttings in water.
    Last year I only lost one cutting, and of course it was the brug I wanted most.

  • jlgarden53
    12 years ago

    I received 3 cuttings this past Labor Day. All were about 3 inches long. I planted each cutting in it own pot with only the grow tips above the soil. Then cover the cutting with a tall Styrofoam cup. I then added soil to the outside of the cups so half the cup were under soil. They were placed under a large tree but got direct sun some time during the day. They got water along with my other potted plants. All three cuttings rooted and leaves grew while inside the cup. I like this method because the cutting can stay outside and not worry about the sun and humidity. I learned this method from watching this You Tube video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87XI9O2bBg0

  • Bob_A
    12 years ago

    I rec'd 6 cuttings from Jerry that I rooted in dirt, all 6 took.
    I also took a soft cutting above the Y from a NOID yellow that I tried rooting in water.
    It took 2 weeks but it has sprouted roots.
    Seems like brugs are pretty easy to root any way that one chooses.
    Or is it just beginners luck?

  • karyn1
    12 years ago

    Brugs are probably one of the easiest plants to root.

  • grrrnthumb
    12 years ago

    With a cutting "quite tiny" you need near perfect humidity, but they rot in water like Karyn said, so they also need near perfect aeration (drainage).
    I do these in a styrofoam cup with another clear cup on top (snug fitting) to make a mini greenhouse. I use 4 parts perlite to get the maximum air in the soil to prevent rot and 1 part peat to hold a little moisture and for it's antiseptic qualities. I also use a mist of Chammomile tea as a natural fungicide to prevent the damping-off or molds that can form in very high humidity. This will also root the more difficult ones like sanguinea & vulcanicola.
    {{gwi:445744}}

    If the cuttings are not as precious and you can afford the risk, try experimenting with putting the tiny ones in a clear cup with a clear lid (or saran wrap), and only enough water to barely cover half of the bottom of the cup. Then stand the cutting up on the inside of the cup. This super-thin layer of water maintains both the high humidity and high oxygen rate they need.

    {{gwi:576799}}{{gwi:576800}}

    - Tom

  • maile_2010
    12 years ago

    Awesome info Tom.
    Thanks.
    Jerry

  • karyn1
    12 years ago

    OK which one of you is the cat and who's the mouse? Sorry I couldn't resist.

  • grrrnthumb
    12 years ago

    It took me about 3 minutes to get that. Man I'm getting old. ;)

  • huneybunch_2000
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the info..Still alot of us spreading our wings into the wonderful world of brug growing..Trish

  • rudy625
    12 years ago

    Took me a few minutes to get the Tom & Jerry thing too ! I let out a chuckle,and my grandson asked me what was so funny (he just turned 20 years old ),I showed him this post,and he didn't get who Tom & Jerry were,so I'm getting old too !!!
    dan

  • karyn1
    12 years ago

    Come on Dan my 7 year old knows who Tom & Jerry are. You deprived your poor son of Saturday morning cartoons. lol BTW don't you know that 50 is the new 30 and I'm sticking to it!

  • mnwsgal
    12 years ago

    Today I changed the water in all my cutting containers, about 12 pint ice cream containers and a couple of larger containers. I thought I was done until I noticed that the rubbing alcohol that I used to sterilize the clipper used on the one set of large cuttings that were rotting was missing. Yep, alcohol was in the same type of ice cream container. LOL. Did I dump it out or use it for one of the batches of cuttings? All the rooting ice cream containers were again emptied and refilled with fresh water containing bit of Listerene.

    Tom, I also use a clear cup with a clear lid for tiny cuttings.

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