Hi All,
I am trying to get another Choke Berry (not cherry) to grow by transferring a clipping from another plant. This is supposedly how these plants are propagated.
I have been using this rooting compound:
And it does not seem to work. Three failure so far.
Am I using the wrong stuff?
Cut, dip, make hole and pour some down the hole too, stick in hole. Did I miss something?
Many thanks,
-T
Just a guess , but I think you might be using too much rooting hormone . The instructions on mine (TakeRoot brand) say dip then shake excess off . Are you clipping almost all the leaves off ? That lowers the moisture requirements , cuz remember , ya got no roots to take up water and nutrients . I also put a baggie over the container (loosely) to help retain moisture .
it also depends upon how the cutting that is trying to be rooted is treated. it should not be left in the hot sun or allowed to dry out. it should be kept moist but not soggy. etc.
songbird
Tried it both ways.
I left the leaves on. Should I have removed most of them?
not following. Bag over the rooting compound container?
Also, how long do I wait to water? Maybe I washed the stuff off?
Yes , all but a couple or 3 . They lose moisture to the air and the plant has no way to replace it until it grows some roots . No , a baggie placed loosely over the pot you use for your new plant . Like a little tent . I soak the soil as soon as I plant the new start . After that I water just enough to keep the soil damp .
Thank you!
Hard to phrase the balance. You need enough to feed the root growth. But any more than that demands more water than the cut end can wick. For me, it is hit and miss. I generally take 4-5 cuttings when I want 1-2 plants (for woody plants, greens are easier).
Tent over the plant/cutting. Like a mini-greenhouse.
I've never rooted cuttings in the ground. Usually use damp sand until roots form, and water by soaking from the bottom.
I'd say keep the soil damp, and any watering would be slow/gentle.
Thank you!
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Ooopps. That was suppose to go to rec.gardens.edible. Please disregard
Drew Lawson wrote: ...
yeah, you don't want to wash away the rooting horemone...
songbird
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Hi All,
I am trying again.
This time, I cut all the leaves off but three. Dunked the stem in the rooting compound and only added a tiny bit to the hole. And only gave it about 1/4 cups of water so as to not wash off the compound.
The three leaves are now dead, but it look like it is trying to sprout new leaves along its stem.
And I am back to watering it normally again.
Time will tell!
Thank you all for the help!
-T
T wrote: ...
you should not need to put any down the hole. just FYI for future efforts. :)
when you see new growth that is usually a good sign that new roots have formed.
one or two leaves is usually enough.
:)
songbird
This all reminds me of what my brother i law said about cooking: "Hand me the can; hand me the can opener; I am a cook!"
When I taught myself to cook seven years ago when I got diagnosed with T2, Oh boy! What look easy on the outside really required a lot of learning and skills. AND I DON'T COOK OUT OF CANS!
Fresh garden produce is to die for! Yum! I am finally starting to see some results.
I've had good luck in the winter by sticking the clippings in coke bottles kept full with water and placing them in a south facing window. When roots are noticeable & the weather is warm, stick them in the ground.
Hul
T wrote:
Interesting! Thank you!
Hi Hul,
Well now, this time I tried sticking a clipping into an empty bottle, with a tiny amount of rooting compound in the water.
I has been five days now and the leaves have not died. All the ones I tried sticking in the ground, the leaves died with in a day.
So a good sign, I guess. But no sign of any roots yet. How long did yours take to develop roots?
Many thanks,
-T
T wrote: ...
were they mostly shaded and covered to prevent excessive evaporative loss?
did you take all but one or two leaves off?
how did you cut the clippings from what plant?
what kind of soil did you put them in?
did you keep them damp/moist but not sodden?
anyways good luck with the other approach. ;)
songbird
1st attempt, about two leaves. 2nd attempt, about 10 leaves. 3rd attempt, about three leaves
Pruning shears. Same ones I use to cut off my eggplant fruit.
I cut flat. Should I have cut at an angle?
Back fill, chicken poop fertilizer, peat moss. Same as the other three holes where these plants are going great guns
Watered every other day. They got soaked pretty good. First time lightly so as not to wash off the rooting compound
I think maybe they need to be water every day.
Frustrating. The first attempt is still sticking there. If yo shine a bright white light on it, you can see the green in the trunk. Now you would think that is a good sign, but it has been that way since last fall!
???
sounds like no to both if you have to water that often.
these are very important parts of this process. you don't want them in direct light and you do want them covered to keep moisture in especially in an arid climate.
...
no idea, if it is dead but perhaps that plant can still have some green in it when dead. if it is flexible that is another check. or a slight tug on the twig doesn't move it (so there are roots there). or you can actually moisten it well and then pop it out of the pot and check for root growth.
what you describe above is likely too rich a potting mix for rooting cuttings. and yes, cut at an angle, but that isn't nearly as important as keeping the cuttings covered and in mostly shade.
a reasonable mix of starting soil for cuttings if you can't just buy some cheap potting soil and seed starting mix (i blend them to do cuttings if i'm doing a lot of cuttings) would be to mix peat moss and some of your subsoil with a little clay mixed in there too. you want something that helps hold some water. plain peat moss is ok, but i think some mineral content is useful and of course the clay.
nutrients you really only need to have when the plant is actively growing. if you make the starting mix too rich the cuttings may not do well at all and they may rot or have odd fungal issues or other disease problems.
songbird
There are lots of woody plants grown in my area (WNC). Try this old nurserymans' trick. Cut the stem at a sharp angle, stick into a small potato and then proceed as already noted above. The potato maintains constant moisture. Steve
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