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moonie_57

Winter rooting of cuttings

moonie_57 (8 NC)
11 years ago

Will cuttings do just fine if rooted on heat mats? There are a few cuttings I am having a hard time resisting. If they will root ok on heat mats, then I'll go for it. :)

Comments (36)

  • No-Clue
    11 years ago

    Good question Mona. I'm in the same situation... I was given 3 very precious cuttings that I couldn't turn away either. And you know my luck w/ cuttings. Anyway... right now our weather is still low 90s to high 80s so I stuck them in the Mulch since Monday. I'm hoping that will help callus them faster so I can pot them up 9/24. At what temps do I take them inside and on a heating mat?

  • pcput
    11 years ago

    Mona/Lynn, I've rooted all my cuttings in the house on heat mats and grow lights. I don't have a good place outside to do it. I've rooted them all year but it is much harder and slower to do it in the winter. I have one that was started Oct.3rd last year that is still slowly growing. I also had 7 cuttings that I brought back from FL last Nov. and held them until Feb. when 2 of them got soft spots. I did loose those 2 but rooted the other 5 just fine. I got my mats off ebay and this is the kind, Hydrofarm SEEDLING HEAT MAT. I also use reptile heat mats and if any get too hot I just put a piece of cardboard on top of them. Make sure you are using a heat mat that is made to stay on 24/7. People have used heating pads but they are not designed to run constantly and could start a fire. Peg

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    I'm also looking at rooting on heat mats. I have a Hydrofarm 9X19 1/2" from Amazon and just ordered another one to beat the tax when Amazon starts charging in Cali this Saturday. Some things I have picked up from reading different places. It is said that a soil temp of 80 degrees is the best. Another person said their mat didn't heat up a lot until she put a rigid foam piece underneath it for insulation, then it got plenty warm on the top. And on the Plumeria Addicts Facebook page, a guy said that plumerias will root in total darkness, they don't need a lot of light, the important thing is bottom heat. Since I will have around 24 cuttings rooting soon, I guess I'll get a chance to try all this out. I have a Scott Pratt and I've heard they are hard to root, so it could be several months before that happens. Of course, where I live, the weather should be reasonably warm for maybe the next 6 weeks of so before I would need to put them on the mats indoors.

  • Andrew Scott
    11 years ago

    Hi Moonie,
    I have rooted cuttings over the winter since I got into this addiction. I have to honestly say, as long as you do not water the unrooted cuttings, then you should be safe. I am one of those people that do not water unrooted cuttings until I know they have rooted...if I see that there dessicating, I will mist them.

    The most important factors are heat, and light. If you can give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight or 12 hours of artificial light(Halide, HPS, T-5), then you will be ok. I had a couple cuttings that were stubborn to root. One was Hilo Beauty. That took me 2 years to root. It's finally leafing out now, and firming up. Nebel's Rainbow was another one, I removed it from soil mix, and put it in water. They rooted in less than a week!

    Water rooting is a great option over the winter. In fact I am doing it now with 'Pyscho White' and it has rooted. I rooted my 'Slaughter Pink and a noid in about 3 weeks. I potted those up yesterday, along with an inflo that I removed from my 'Sanmirie'. That was amazing to me. I still cannot believe it rooted!!

    Good luck Moonie! I know you can do it!

    Andrew

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Peg! Thank you. The Hydrofarm was the one both Robert and Kim recommended and I do have my eye on one. But now you and Andrew have gotten me to wondering about lighting. At first I was thinking, like Del said, that they would not need a lot of light. Now I'm questioning that. Of course, different people, different theories!

    Andrew - I"m beginning to think that Katie Moragne may be one of those 2 year rooters! It's been close to 5 months and nothing! A few leaves, very slow, but no signs of roots.

    Could i use a couple of those round reflector clamp on lights with compact florescent bulbs? I'm sure it's not ideal but I'm not going to sink in a bunch of money for pricey lights for overwintering. Or should I? Hmmmm... I really do want a some more cuttings.

    Water rooting frightens me. I find it much easier to overwinter brugs in the BOB, but plumies? Shiver me timbers! :)

    Del - I've heard that Scott Pratt is one of the easier reds to root. Hopefully that will prove true for you! I'll remember the insulation beneath the mat if it seems like it isn't getting hot enough.

    BTW, is a thermostat necessary?

    Lynn - we are starting to have cooler temps but on and off through October and into November we will have hot spells too. What kind of heating mat do you have?

    Oh Peg... speaking of people that have tried using heating pads...... I've wondered if anyone that has their plumies in the ground have ever tried to use electric blankets when they have had unexpected/unusual cold weather come in.

  • pcput
    11 years ago

    Mona - Good question on the electric blanket. I would think it would warm it up too much touching the tips but since like you it is too cold here to even think about it.
    I do use those round reflector clamp on lights. I use lights from my Aero gardens and I found some full spectrum compact florescent blubs at Olies. Cheap too and they seem to work fine. I bought all that the 2 stores by me had. I think the lights help with heat some too. I have them in one of those 5 shelf greenhouses so I can keep them from the air conditioning and the dry heat of the furnace. I also have small fans running in the GH. I do put a piece of Styrofoam(lids from shipping boxes of tropical fish in pet stores) under the heat mats. That way I'm not trying to heat the whole floor in my family room. They also get sun light from a large window there. Hope all this helps. Peg

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks Peg! Can you give me some more info on those bulbs you get from Ollies? I was looking at bulbs awhile back at Walmart and I could not make up my mind which would be best. Do they just say full spectrum?

    Do you have electric heat? I don't think there is any more of a dry heat than electric. My skin itches just thinking about it! :)
    Maybe I should wrap my shelving unit in some greenhouse plastic. Do you think that would help? I wonder how high the humidity should be for overwintering? Since there would be very little watering going on, maybe a pan of water in there would help?

    Sorry, just trying to get all my ducks in a row ahead of time. I don't care for last minute preparations.

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    As far as a thermostat goes, I ordered one, just to beat the taxes that Amazon starts charging here next Saturday. From all the reading of remarks, it seems like it would be for growing or sprouting many different kinds of plants, which may have different heat requirements. I've read the remarks that the Hydrofarm mat doesn't put out a whole lot of heat anyway, but who knows. Only way to know is to actually test them, this winter. Hydrofarm remarks that it really isn't necessary, but again, who knows?

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Del - thanks for telling me about the remarks. I have not yet read them but Kim did say that she felt her other one put out more heat than the Hydrofarm. I'll have to check that out.

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    Chiming in on the heat mat debacle! With my hyrdofarm mat, I frankly remember that my thermometer probe said that it reached maybe 82F or so, but this is just a ruff guess since I stopped using that one. With the one I bought off ebay (much cheaper too!), it heated up my celadine cutting that I had in a 4 inch nursery pot that I'm currently rooting to 90F this evening. It also depends on what your room temperature is too, so the warmer the room is, the warmer your heat mat will heat up your pot, our room temp was at 80F when it gave me the 90F reading. If I knew the ebay heat mat worked this good, I would definitely went with it over the hydrofarm one to save money.

    Also a tip, put a layer or too of reynolds wrap down on your mat under your pots, I feel like it helps hold the heat too. ;)

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    I also forgot to mention that I also use a heat lamp that I got at walmart for around $17. You can mount it on the wall or sit it on your desk/table. It also throws out some great heat that will make your pots temps rise to 100F+ if combined with the heat mat too but I try not to get my pots that hot very often, afraid it might fry. ;)

  • beachplant
    11 years ago

    check Craigslist too, with all the busts of grow houses here people are selling their hydroponics stuff like crazy. I don`t know if they are afraid of being busted or what but last week on the Houston Craigslist there were some grow lights for about 10% of the retail costs! I checked a couple of other cities just out of curiosity and found grow lights, etc. on all of the sites.

    Amazon started charging sales tax in Texas a month or so back. Bah!
    Good luck!
    I should be getting 24 cuttings in the mail any day now.
    Tally HO!

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

    I think it wouldn't hurt to have some kind of light set to longer than 12 hours -- maybe around 14 hours to trick the cutting into thinking that it's still growing season. This may help with rooting in winter. I've had plants bloom in my basement under lights using fluorescents and HID lighting set at 14 hours.

    I rooted a Hilo Beauty under lights in my basement over winter. It pretty much sat there though until about March, when it started to grow leaves.

  • elucas101
    11 years ago

    So is it ok to get cuttings now and just store them until spring? How long can you keep a cutting without planting it?

  • mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
    11 years ago

    I have the absolute perfect way to root plumeria in winter with guaranteed 100% success.


    mail it to Laura and have her do it :)

    Mike

  • pcput
    11 years ago

    Mona the light bulbs are marked as full spectrum. They had equal to 75 and 100 watts but could only find one 100 watt. My Hydrofarm mat is large enough to put 2 seed trays on it and got so hot I had to put cardboard under the trays. It is on a plastic shelf so it might depend what you have it sitting on too.
    I have oil heat(forced air) so it tends to dry things out. I can spray the cuttings in the GH and at times I've put a bowl of water in there to boost humidity. I've got a humidity meter on order now as I want to see what it's running too. Peg

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Peg. I made a trip to Ollie's in Elizabeth City today. They did not have the individual full spectrum bulbs but they did have a 2 pack with 1 full spectrum and 1 soft white bulb. I purchased the last two packs they had, and picked up another clamp reflector.

    It sounds like the mats get hot enough that cuttings in plastic bottles, sat down inside pots, will get enough heat to the soil. You think so?

    mike - now there's an idea! :)

  • pcput
    11 years ago

    That's the ones Mona. I use the other ones in my house lamps.
    I would think that set up will get warn enough but you can check it with a therm.
    I like Mikes idea too ! Not sure Laura will. She did that for someone and lost them. It tears it up when she looses one. Sorry Laura, your just a softy (me too). Peg

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    11 years ago

    You all crack me up!!!

    Mike...PLEASE SEND ME THE SAME FEELING OF ROOTING SUCCESS TO ME PLEASE? lol... I wish ...

    I also use the Hydrofarm seedling heat mats.. I take those mats and put them in a large black plastic bin. I bought them at a commercial sales center that carry accessories for food prep. They are large dishwashing plactic containers. I put my cutting inside, keeping them (bottles) all close together and place bigs rocks inside to keep them tucked in. This also keeps the heat inside the container. Rocks stay warm and keeps the container a nice place to relax and stay warm.

    Good luck.. I have rooted in the winter too, but i really like to start mine in the spring.

    I did have a friend send me a few cuttings to root for her during the winter.. I didnt have good success and yes, i felt terrible. I will say that the cuttings were thin to start and that didnt give them a good chance...

    Mike.. im still laughing at you... ;-)

    Laura

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Laura - what do you do about lighting, if anything?

    Good idea about the rocks. I had not thought about that.

    Thanks

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    I just sprung for a 2 light T5 fixture. I have a Dazzler I got from Matt that has a couple of 5 inch leaves so I think I will bring it in when it gets colder and see if it will go through the winter. I also am getting 12 new cuttings from Derrick soon so will definitely need the heat mats and the light may help that also. And, in addition, I got a rooted Kimi Moragne from MPG that has just 2 maybe 1 inch leaves on it so will put that under the lights also. One guy on here, arctictropical in Idaho, posted some shots of his plumies growing like crazy in his basement under the same type lights. Since this is my first winter, trying to cover all bases. LOL

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Del - I saw a 4 ft. T5 starter light for about $60 on either ebay or amazon but I thought there was no way it could be any good. Have you ever seen them in that price range?

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    What if you can't have nor afford T5 lights, what would be the next best thing?

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    Mona, that's probably for a 1 light fixture. I'm getting a 2 ft, 2 bulb setup for $75. I figure for the 2 plants I'm specially getting this for, that should be big enough. The room will be getting sunlight through a south facing sliding door since the sun will be lower in the sky then. The lights are just to extend the light period to maybe 14 hours/day. The lights apparently work very well, according to the pics of arctictropical's setup in his basement. He has 8 tubes and it looks like a major garden down there. Here's the link to that thread with pictures.

    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/plumeria/msg0500483631122.html

  • beachplant
    11 years ago

    stupid mail carrier! Ours is the laziest on the planet, at least twice week we get someone elses mail, often a different street and he NEVER NEVER leaves packages. So my cuttings arrived yesterday and will sit at the po till Monday, our po is closed on Saturday. Aaarrrrgggghhhh!

    Tally HO!

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Lucky me, I have the best mail carrier ever! It all stays between just him and me. :)

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    11 years ago

    Hi Mona,

    I also have T-5 lights that i use during the winter .

    The cutting that i am rooting right now are still in the greenhouse and i haven't moved them in two months. They are sitting on the heat mats and rec natural sunlight at this time. Hopefully by the time i bring them in, they will have rooted. But if they still need help, they will go inn the heated container w/ a few large rocks( I use ones about the sixe of my fist to keep the bottles from moving around) if i dont have enough to keep them secure. I like that they stay warm, reminds me of when i had a snake and i had to keep rocks in the aquarium to keep him warm with his light. (That didnt last long.. i had to feed him too.. My DH friends bought him a Bull Nose snake and i had to by the "pinkies to feed him" he only stayed in the house for 6 months, then DH found him a new home.. I dont mind Gerbils, Hampsters, Hermit crabs.. dogs..but i finally had it with the snake.

    Kim... if you need another alternate plan... heat mats with insulation and maybe a grow light that you could purchase at Lowes. They are about 10 dollars. I would keep them in a sunny window and keep the light on a timer. Hope that helps...

    I haven;t forgotten the DR seeds. They have stalled and i think they will be opening in the next few weeks. So when they do .. i will send them to you.. Hope you are doing well!!

    Nice to have connections Mona!! LOL... I give my mailman cold drinks left in my mailbox during the heat of the day... They just smile and beep.. Cookies at Christmas too! Can't forget them!!! : )

    Take care everyone!!

    Laura

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    Actually I have found a 2 foot sunblaster T5 light online. Anyone ever heard of those an are they any good? Those are much more cheaper but my problem is I don't know where I would put it because I don't have a place to hang it.

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    Laura, great idea with the container and rocks to retain heat. I'll go with that setup when it gets cooler. We probably still have about 5 or 6 weeks out here of warm temps (warm? Jeez, it was 103 here yesterday lol)

    kim319, I hadn't seen the Sunblaster before. Amazon has it but no user comments yet. It certainly is inexpensive, the one thing about it is that it is just the fixture with no reflector to aim the light downwards, a lot of the light would scatter around the room unless you did something like hang aluminum foil around it to keep the light energy bouncing back onto the plants.

  • beachplant
    11 years ago

    our mail carrier of many years was moved to a different route because everyone complained about the mail carrier, not delivering mail, wrong mail...so they moved him. To us. The guy DRIVES from house to house, stops in the middle of the street and takes the mail to the houses, then drives down the other side of the street delivering mail. Nothing wrong with him, we are in town! If he doesn`t feel like walking up to the house he puts your mail in the house that has a mailbox closer to the street. He has to walk into the neighbors yard but our mailbox is out by the sidewalk, so I get all 3 neighbors mail on his lazy days. I can tell when he`s off, I get only my mail and packages arrive.

    I miss our old mail carrier, this dude actually handed me my mail on the corner one day and asked if I could drop off stuff to the neighbors!!
    Tally HO!

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    Has anyone tried the hydrofarm 2 ft t5 grow light system? Is it any good? I have been wondering about it because it looks like a nice little structure but I'm kinda iffy about it because my hydrofarm mat doesn't heat up very hot so I thought maybe this wouldn't work as good as some of the other lights.

    Link - Hydrofarm JSV2 2-Foot Jump Start T5 Grow Light System

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kim - I just wanted to say that not too long ago I saw a 4ft T5 light somewhere for just about $60. It's on this thread a little ways up. Just in case you were interested. :)

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestion but that size is a little too big for me -- it's almost as big as me LOL! I have limited space so I have to go with something smaller. ;)

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    I have the 2ft 2 light Hydrofarm T5 system, but haven't used it yet. It looks well made and has a 5 year warranty on the ballast. That one on your link is a 1 light.

    As for the heating pad heat, someone mentioned that theirs wasn't heating very much so they put a rigid foam pad under it and that worked. The instructions printed on the mat actually say to put it on an insulated surface rather than a cold floor.

  • Kimberly (6b Indiana)
    11 years ago

    DelWH, I got another heat mat off of ebay that works better than the hydrofarm one. Mine are sitting on my desk by my computer, can't sit them on the floor even if I wanted to due to a very nosy cat. LOL

    I have several months before I make a purchase on a light, if I do, so I will think about my choices. ;)

  • DelWH
    11 years ago

    This site has a lot of info on grow lights.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Grow light info

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