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banannas

Rooting Square Leaf HELP Advice Needed

banannas
12 years ago

Hi all,

I recently got square leaf cuttings (I know it has a new name now, just couldn't recall it) as well as several others including subclava which seems to be rooting since I can't pull it out of the mix now and there are no signs of distress. Unfortunately the square leaf is not doing well. I had it in a bark, perlite and vermiculite mix, however it has been in decline and loosing leaves like mad. I love everything about this plant except its ability to root!

Those of you who have had success rooting this one, what have you done? I need detailed directions.

Thanks,

Anne

Comments (11)

  • RainforestGuy
    12 years ago

    Nobody owns a subcalva. What is "square leaf" hoya?
    This I gotta see.

  • puglvr1
    12 years ago

    RGF...this is what mine was labeled with as
    Hoya sp square leaf. I cannot tell you this is what this hoya truly is...just the label that it came with and all the internet searches produces the same results.

    The Blooms...

    Banana...mine was a small rooted plant so I might not be the the best person to ask. I have however rooted a tiny cutting that broke off my plant. I used equal parts turface, small pieces of bark and crushed granite or perlite. I placed the potted cutting in a small Cookie jar(terrarium) for extra humidity and sprayed it once a day or so...even though I live in FL and its quite humid here. Somehow the leaves got too dehydrated when I didn't use the terrarium...Good luck!

    Oh, I think Quinn rooted this hoya succesfully...hopefully she will be see this post and help you.

  • banannas
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Pug!

    RFG - I have been reading your posts for awhile now and while I appreciate that you are frustrated at how we don't have standardized references for many of our plants on this forum please realize that most of us are not botanists nor is this a professional endeavor for us. If you want to help in creating a more consistant naming of our plants there is a better way than inserting these condescending comments. I'm all for having a more standardized consistent manner of referring to these remarkable plants but the way you have consistently chosen to go about it has really made me not even want to read your posts. I am simply calling these plants what others have called it on this forum.

    PLEASE don't use this post to get into what to call this plant. Start a new thread/post topic where this can be the topic of discussion so those who have interest can part of that discussion. Then this can be a thread where people who want to help me figure out how to keep this plant alive can and where others who do a search for this same information can find it easily without sorting through a secondary discussion you have chosen to start here.

    Its clear that you have a lot of knowledge and that for you this is a significant issue and sincerely, I would love to be part of helping you find a way that all can be happy in how we refer to our hoyas on this forum that creates less confusion just please start a new post to do so.

    Thanks!

  • mdahms1979
    12 years ago

    This species was recently published as Hoya rotundiflora and GG originally posted the link.

    I have rooted this Hoya in both sphagnum moss and a potting soil/perlite/coconut husk chip mix. Are there any healthy leaves left on your cutting? What type of environment do you have the cuttings in?
    If you have sphagnum moss it's very good to use for difficult to root plants.

    Mike

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hoya rotundiflora

  • theplanthoarder
    12 years ago

    I received a cutting from Ted Green and rooted it directly in a peat/perlite mix. I heard it likes water and it likes to grow in semi hydroponics. I would use some hydroton in a self made hydroponic pot. I make S/H pots out of used plastic pop bottles. I plan to transfer mine to a self watering pot in hydroton. I didn't have problems rooting this guy and I did not have a rooting aquarium at that time.

    Michelle

  • quinnfyre
    12 years ago

    Aha! Saw it. I rooted this one by applying rooting gel (mine is from Dyna Gro), placed it in a coco husk chip mix, stuck the whole thing in a 2 gal ziploc, and under lights. I moved it to my terrarium which has a computer fan going for air circulation, but I think by that point it had already rooted in the bag. The lights provided a bit of heat, I think, and the rooting gel gave it a bit of a kick to get going. It did not give me any problems this way. Depending on how large the cutting is, if at all possible, I'd find a bit of it that still looks good and take a fresh cut. You can root them together I think (I did), I just like to give it a couple different chances to take. I think I took two cuttings, both made it, and the original rooted plant I received died. The state of the cuttings before rooting was green leaves, but all wrinkled and limp. These cuttings rooted, so I know it's possible. Hope this helps!

  • greedygh0st
    12 years ago

    I haven't ever rooted this plant, so I can't comment there, but I did want to note that this plant (once rooted) is not challenging enough to warrant semi-hydro unless you just... want to do semi-hydro! ^_^ I grow mine in coir and it dries out regularly and is happy as a clam. It has pretty much grown constantly after it finished its settling in period.

  • banannas
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks all for your advice. Seems that there is more than one way to skin a cat or in this case root a square leaf.
    Prior to so desperate measures on Saturday, I had the square leaf outside in dapple light getting temps from 75-90 day time and 68-78 night time, in an orchid mix I use on my oncidiums and dendrobiums. I figured that it was a good draining mix and they also have tender thin roots. I was trying to keep it damp but not wet which I monitored easily because I had it in a clear pot. I was misting it daily at least once as well. Here is the mix.

    However the cutting were not happy there as they protested by shedding leaves.

    Right now there are leaves left. I have four cuttings that still have a fighting chance. You can see that one has a pretty yellow leaf that I am hoping bounces back but I'm not holding my breath. Well I am but I shouldn't!

    As crisis prevention I snipped the ends of each again, there was a little rot going on and coated just above the bottom node with RooTone and plunged them into some distilled water in a vase. Then I put that vase in a plastic saucer that I filled with water. Then I covered this whole deal with a 2.5 gal plastic bag that I first blew into, sprayed a mist of water into and zipped shut around the plastic sauce so get some humidity around it. Then I moved it inside to sit in my window bench that gets both south and western light.

    I did this in Saturday as a desperate measure. The good news is, I see little roots emerging on each of them.

    Now I am wondering if I should change it up or leave it in the water? I have had trouble with cuttings I rooted in water adjusting to potted life.

    Mike - I think I have mix like you were suggesting that I use on my phals.

    It has New Zealand Sphagnum Moss, medium pine bark, medium cork nuggets, medium Hydroton and large sponge rock.

    Do you think that I should switch to this or leave it in the water?

    I also have a bag of just pumice. I can try to do a semi-hydro pumice planting as well. If anyone thinks this is a good idea, please let me know how you would go about potting it and watering it. I am a semi-hydro neophyte!

    Thanks again all for your support and advice!

  • banannas
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oh an Nancy, every time I scroll through this post I droll with jealously at your square leaf. Maybe one day if I'm lucky!

  • mairzy_dotes
    12 years ago

    I would get a small plastic cup (the clear kind so you can see what's going on in it. Burn a few holes in the bottom & sides, fill it with perilite. Wet it down good. Use a pencil or some such thing to make holes in it & carfully insert the cuttings. Pack them in gently & put them in that bag or an aquarium etc. & place in indirect light. I usually have an air hole or leave a crack open on the top of the aquarium so it gets some air too. Then leave it alone unless you see it drying out.
    That's just my method that has worked when just water would not. Or...you could leave it in the water. That may work too. I just have not had real good luck with water rooting. Good luck with what ever method you try.
    If all else fails, you can get a rooted plant from Joni or other places.

  • mdahms1979
    12 years ago

    I think if you leave the cuttings in the water for a bit longer until there are more developed roots that you should be able to transfer it to the moisture retentive mix you use for your Phalaenopsis.
    I only water root my H. multiflora but as long as you keep the potting mix wet at first the roots seem to make the transition.

    Mike