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andrew_scott77

Has anyone here ever heard of the 'Egg rooting method'?

Andrew Scott
13 years ago

I wanted to ask if anyone has ever heard of this here. I heard about this on the Aloha plumeria group, and I used it will all my cuttings. As of now, I have 2 pudicas, 1 celadine, and 3 Intense rainbows. Both my celadine and one of the Intense rainbows rooted within a few weeks and I am anxiously waiting for the others to root.

I was told to put an inch or two of soil into a pot and then gently add a whole raw egg and then add soil and plant cutting. I also added a layer of dried maple leaves as a mulch. I swear buy this method. I tried rooting these cuttings in baggies with bottom heat and I got tired of not having results about 6 weeks into the rooting process. All I know is that I have never been able to root a plumeria cutting not to mention, I have never been able to have any inflos.

Andrew

Comments (26)

  • girus
    13 years ago

    Interesting, maybe you can share some photos.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    13 years ago

    Ewww. Sounds nasty! Doesn't it rot and get all smelly? Time of year, variety and temperature are all very important factors in getting a plumeria to root.

  • Andrew Scott
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hello Dave,
    LOL!! I thought the same thing when I was told about it but there is no nasty smell, no rot, the plumeria uses the bacteria that the egg produces and that is what helps it grow. I was told about this by Mimi the moderator for the Aloha plumeria group and I swear by it.

    Girus,
    I am going to be getting a few more cuttings soon and I will take pics of the steps okay?

    Andrew

  • tdogdad
    13 years ago

    Interesting idea. calcium boost. Do you break the egg or put it in whole and undisturbed.

  • ANNAMARIA VECCHIO
    13 years ago

    You just put It in "whole", as it comes from the chicken, yes, Mimi and other members of the Aloha Plumeria forums, are very successful in using this method, I'm also using it for the first time!!!! I'll try to post some pix of them when it's the right time.
    Annamaria

  • klflorida
    12 years ago

    Glad I found this site and thread. I think I have made many mistakes with my new plumeria stems (taking advice from my supplier/maint. man)
    and may start all over.

    I have nine stems I was told to let dry for three days and put them all into a pot (used 2) of garden soil and leave them alone.

    I have had the first pot going for about two weeks and the second pot about a week. The pots sit on my south facing patio and it has rained almost every day since I planted.

    This is so my go to website (gardenweb) for information and I certainly wish I had utilized you all in that "3 day's of drying" period. I'm kicking myself.

    I think what I am going to do is head to home depot for some cactus mix, seek out B-1 and/or SuperThrive while I am there and replant in water bottles with an egg and stick the bottles in preferably a black planter. The plumeria will be put in a sunny eastern spot on my screened patio where they will be left alone.

    I initially used rooting hormone and may use again as a precaution.

    I know we are supposed to leave our plumeria alone, I just feel I may need to start over before it is to late. Maybe the train hasn't left the station.

    Okay, sound like a plan or a further recipe for disaster?

  • woody33(10A)
    12 years ago

    I could not resist trying this method since I had 3 cuttings ready for root today. It sounds interesting, we will see how it goes. Thanks for the idea! BTW I used these instructions http://plumeria2u.co.uk/page.html?id=20

  • jandey1
    12 years ago

    Kltampa, what variety of cuttings are you trying to root? Whites and yellows tend to root more easily, in general, than flashier colors.

    Three days is probably not enough time to let the ends dry out. They can sit for up to several months in warm, dry conditions without soil, so to be safe I'd let them dry two weeks. Then put them where they'll get strong light, but not full sun at first, and humidity, in a fast-draining mix.

    I've found the egg does not necessarily help start rooting. If a cutting won't root the egg isn't going to help. I think it's more useful in accelerating the maturation of roots that have already started. Just my opinion. My very intensely-colored plumeria don't root easily with or without the egg.

    Woody, those are some great-looking multi-tip cuttings you have. Beautiful garden in the background, too!

    Jen

  • klflorida
    12 years ago

    Oh thank you for the photos (love them) and the informative link.

    It has rained all day and the past two days then on and off for the past week. My new cuttings have been out in this the entire time. I decided to pull my plumeria from the pots I had them in, cut off the ends and will leave them to dry for at least a week.

    I'm pretty sure most of them were planted to deep also.

    Thank you to all you who take the time to teach and share information.

    Kathy

  • klflorida
    12 years ago

    Hi Jen, our posts crossed paths.

    I wish I knew the types I am trying to grow. I know a few are white and one is red and one is magenta. A friend bought a home where several were growing and none were marked. I got lucky and got them from a friend of a friend.
    In my previous post I mentioned starting over and letting them dry a week, I'll plan on two.

    Hmm, the egg. You are surely right, I just wanted to try "anything" that might be helpful.

    Glad I found this board.

  • labland
    12 years ago

    My group of cuttings this year, I used the egg method. ÃÂ Some far, all but 4 have big leaves, and all but 5 have inflos developing. ÃÂ I don't know if it was from the egg method, but they have done great. ÃÂ Interestingly, I had gang rooted several, and ended up repotting them a month ago because they were falling over in the potting soil as it dried out, or got jostled by Labrador tails! ÃÂ Some of the eggs were gone and yet in one case, where the plant has large leaves and blossoms already, the egg was still intact. ÃÂ In fact when I replanted it, the egg broke. ÃÂ I left it in there, and the plant is still doing great!

  • TruNorth7
    12 years ago

    I have some plumeria that are already rooted, but are sort of limping along. Would adding an egg to the existing pot give them a boost? Any chance it would hurt?

    I have more eggs than I know what to do with (I have 24 chickens). It'd be nice if "The Girls" could help out with the gardening efforts by donating more than their poop for compost!

    PS- I'll trade fresh eggs for plumeria cuttings to anyone in the Bay Area!!!

  • jandey1
    12 years ago

    Tru, the eggs won't hurt, but the shifting of the rootball to get them in might. The egg needs to go near the bottom of the pot, on a couple inches of dirt. You may be better off with just liquid seaweed or SuperThrive right now, and add the eggs in spring when they're just breaking dormancy.

    It may be that your weather in SF is not conducive to plumeria growth. They love temps between 65-95. Anything much below or above for extended periods will cause them to stall, from my experience.

  • TruNorth7
    12 years ago

    Thanks Jandey!
    I just bought all but one of my plumeria, and they were green house grown (according to the guy at Home Depot), so I think they're adjusting to being outside.
    I'm pretty far inland from SF and have hot summers out here (thankfully; I can't stand the SF fog!). The plumeria I got from Hawaii is doing great, so hopefully the new ones will perk up. I picked up some SuperThrive the other day and will give that a go and wait to put eggs in 'til spring.

    How long does it take a plant to break down/use an egg? Just curious.

  • msmorningsong
    10 years ago

    Did anyone see this?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Egg Versus rooting hormone and results

  • desamecyra
    10 years ago

    Yep, Andrew, I have, and in that same forum, too, which I really miss.

  • xerophyte NYC
    10 years ago

    I have 2 cuttings I'm rooting right now, a Kaneohe Sunrise and Celadine. The Celadine cutting has an inflo nub, and an egg with it, I figure it can't hurt. Both are being heated to around 85F. I expect the Celadine to root quicker regardless because it is a more robust variety but I will report back the results later this summer.

    Egg is organic BTW :-)

    x

  • becks3082
    10 years ago

    There are a large number of supporters on this forum who recommend rooting in small clear containers (e.g., cut off water bottles). There are also strong supporters of the egg method.

    Is the egg method compatible in this scenario? Seems there wouldn't be room. What have people had success with? How much container space is sufficient to not 'over egg'...

    Thoughts?

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    I use the cut off gatorade bottle and the egg, following the directions that you find when you google: "raw egg rooting method" ...good luck...roxanne

  • desamecyra
    10 years ago

    Bob Walsh covers Mimi's egg-rooting method in his book on "How to grow plumeria-frangipani anytime anywhere", btw. Still miss the "Aloha Plumeria" forum though...and Mimi, too. I hope she's happy in her life, and stress-free. I'm currently rooting a bonus plumeria with an egg, and an Oahu Star cutting w/o one, -since I only had one egg available when potting them up. The bonus cutting is showing tip changes on it, already, but I can't consider this a fair test, as the Oahu Star cutting was considerably thicker than the mystery (gift) cutting was, when I rec'd them. To do a fair comparative test, I think I'd have to use 2 cuttings from the same source and root them the same way, (except for placing an egg under only one of them).

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    desamecyra, that is what I did with 2 Mele Pa Bowmans...same tree source and size...1 with and 1 without...huge difference for me....roxanne

  • jandey1
    10 years ago

    Roxanne, it certainly doesn't hurt to put an egg in the pot and I'd never discourage anyone from trying it for themselves. If my memory weren't bad I probably would have put one in each of my young plants this spring when I repotted, lol.

    I also miss the Aloha forum, and hope Mimi is doing very well.

  • desamecyra
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Rox146...you know? I think I will do as you did, the very next time I get 2 cuttings from the same cultivar, just to satisfy my curiosity! I don't want to know if egg rooting works well on plumies, I know it does. I just want to know how much faster they root, than plumeria rooted w/o eggs.

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    Well, not only did it root and leaf out much faster, but, The info developed and bloomed all summer long...great to not have to cut off an info. Mahalo, roxanne

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    10 years ago

    I'm trying it on P.obtusa...and I'm not sure if the cutting is doing well. I see a faint black to the tip. I got it mail order,no leafs- all were cut off. Its a big cutting too.
    I'm worried.
    Any P.obtusa tips?

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