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st81

Pic of cutting, when to repot?

St81
12 years ago

Hi all, I am new and very clueless when it comes to propagation of plants from cuttings. I made a cutting from a hibiscus plant around August 2011,used a root hormone and stuck it in sand with a little regular potting soil on top. It has not grown at all but the leaves are very green. Should I plant it in soil now? Im sure roots have grown since it has been in the sand for almost 6 months. I have read many posts and people say to use different kinds of soil. Which is best? Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: My cutting

Comments (3)

  • AMaji
    12 years ago

    I think it has rooted. You should plant it in a bigger pot, maybe one or two sizes bigger than the one it is now. Hibiscus flowers better in SLIGHTLY root bound conditions. As for soil, well draining soil like coir based products will be best for hibiscus.

    Good luck.

  • St81
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. I will stop by home depot or pikes nursery soon and get some soil and bigger pot for my little baby.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    12 years ago

    Green leaves are no sure indication your cutting has struck, and even if it did, the cutting doesn't need potting up until the the root/soil mass is reaching the point where the roots and soil can be lifted from the pot intact. That, is a critical point in a cutting's life. Left to become severely root-bound, the plant's growth and vitality will be permanently compromised, even if you pot-up or plant out, unless you do a full repot to correct the root congestion. You'll know for sure your plant has struck when new growth appears in leaf axils (crotches) and starts to extend. At that point, you can change soils if you want ..... and you probably should, as sand, even coarse sand, is a poor choice for this plant.

    The best soils are those you can water correctly without root rot becoming an issue. If you can't flush the soil when you water without concern for root function being compromised by soggy conditions, or worse - the specter of root rot raising its head, your soil is limiting your ability to bring along a plant that is all it CAN be,

    Soils with a high % of coir of CHCs are VERY high in K; and often, salinity is an issue in coir/CHC products. For those reasons, commercial growers usually limit coir's presence in their soils to 10% of the whole, or less.

    I would suggest repotting this very vigorous plant yearly, and using a soil with a very high % (75-85%) of larger particles, like pine bark fines. Your soil choice and your attention to root health are two of the most significant factors that will determine how successful you are at bringing this plant along so it looks good and remains in good health.

    I'll leave you a link to more information about soils for container gardening. Gaining an understanding of how important the air/water relationships of/in your container soils are probably represents the largest step forward you can take at any one time when it comes to growing in containers. Hopefully, you'll recognize an opportunity to advance your abilities and take advantage. ;-)

    PS: Please - never use a high-P or bloom-booster fertilizer on Hibiscus. Even 1:1:1 ratio fertilizers like 20-20-20 and 14-14-14 supply too much P for Hibiscus to be as happy as it could be.

    Al


    Here is a link that might be useful: More about soils if you click me!

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