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Too early for leaf-bud cuttings?
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Posted by George_in_MA z5/6 MA (My Page) on Tue, Mar 8, 05 at 9:14
| Am living in Savannah for the winter. Yesterday I clipped a length of camellia with the idea that I'd try to root some leaf-bud cuttings. Not sure what the cultivar was, but it was a red bloom mixed with white. When I got home I noticed that the buds at the base of the leaves either were extremely small or not visible at all. I made the cuttings anyway. Each cutting is an inch or so long, one leaf per cutting. I scraped the bark off the side of the cutting directly opposite the leaf and then placed it horizontally in the medium with the leaf sticking up. I've got all of the cuttings under a makeshift mini greenhouse in a window indoors.
I've since read that leaf-bud cuttings of camellias are generally made in late summer. I have no experience with camellias, so I was wondering if the more experienced propagators on this forum think I've made the cuttings too early in the season. Thanks in advance for any info. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Too early for leaf-bud cuttings?
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| Soft-wood cuttings in June (bend a twig - when it just snaps, it's ready) is best from my experience, George - but I must tell you a short story. Years ago I worked at a public garden near Annapolis, Maryland. We grew many Camellias. One day I carried a pail of water to the collection to get a few cuttings. I took maybe 2 dozen, & dropped them in the pail to keep them fresh 'til I got 'round to sticking them. I put the pail in a shed & immediately forgot about them. Opened the shed door 2 months later. Surprised to see the forgotten Camellia cuttings, I found they had nearly ALL grown roots in the pail (no hole in this bucket). Not, however, the recommended technique! |
RE: Too early for leaf-bud cuttings?
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| Don, Thanks for the info. I'm not going to be here in June, so I thought I'd try them while I had the opportunity. I'm not expecting anything from them, though, so I can't be disappointed. Thanks also for the story. Seems every gardener has a story like that. Sometimes our best efforts meet with abject failure, and then there are those times when we do everything wrong and still manage to hit one out of the ballpark. |
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