Rooting mums

[JNJ]

Anyone had any luck rooting mums? I had a branch fall off so I put it in some water to root it and all I appear to be getting is a dead branch. :)

James

[clc]

I've always had luck sticking the end of it in rooting hormone and putting in dirt.

[David Ross]

Take fresh, green shoots.

Mix equal amounts of peat moss and sand; use "washed" plaster sand (coarse with no dirt). Moisten the mix, but don't get it soggy. Put the mix in a flower pot. Poke holes in the mix slightly larger than the 'mum stems.

Cut fresh, green 'mum shoots. Remove the leaves from the lower 2 inches of each shoot. Using a very sharp paring knife against a piece of wood, cut about 0.5 inch off each shoot, immediately dipping the bottom 1 inch in water. Then dip the trimmed shoot in rooting hormone powder.

Plant each shoot in a hole in the mix. Water to settle the mix. Cover the shoots with a large glass jar, or use a large plastic bag supported with sticks in the pot.

About half the cuttings will take. While the success rate is better for dividing a 'mum's base, the resulting plants seem to be more vigorous from cuttings.

[gary]

Most mum cuttings are taken in the spring or summer. I dot think they will root in the fall.

Gary

[David Hill]

The reason for taking cuttings is to produce strong and vigorous plants, exactly as the same as the plants grown last season.

The cuttings should be strong and about 2 inches in length. Dip the bottom half inch of the cuttings into rooting powder, then insert the cuttings into equal parts of peat and sharp sand or perlite. Perlite does reflect light so helps the speed of rooting, once cuttings have been inserted into the trays place them on a soil warming cable, which should be set around 60f to 65f, give them a daily spray to keep them from drying out. If no heating cable is used, a polystyrene container can be used and covered over with glass. Make sure there is plenty of light and ventilation at all times, shade if the sunlight is very strong, never let your cuttings dry out. Once your cuttings are rooted, this should have taken two weeks maybe a little longer without a cable, when the cuttings take on a greener look, this is the time to take them off the cable or out of your polystyrene box to harden off on the bench. For about two or three days at this stage of growth, try to keep the greenhouse temperature about 40f, during the night by using electric fan heaters or paraffin, when using paraffin heaters. a small amount of air must be provided. This is almost the way I do them and I get around 95%+ take. This year I rooted around 1500 chrysanth cuttings.