GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

27-10-2004, 06:41 PM

In article ,
says...
After dipping the cuttings in the compound do I stick it in a glass of
water or should I just stick the cutting in potting soil?

Coat the cutting such that when you insert it into the rooting medium
the power shows 1/2" or less. I prefer to use vermiculite as a
rooting medium and have it barely moist. Make a hole with a pencil,
insert the cutting, and _lightly_ tamp down. For woody stems I prefer
to cover the pot and cutting with a plastic bag. Set the cutting in
the brightest light (no sun) or 2" from fluorescent tubes. You'll get
sturdier roots (and a healthier plant) using this method than with
plain water.

Thanks for the info. I do have a fluorescent tube lighting area set up
to help the cuttings get going. For some reason the garden shop where I
used to get big bags vermiculite stopped selling it this Spring and would
only sell me perlite. This is in Chicago Illinois. They claimed that
they couldn't sell vermiculite anymore due to cancer concerns or
something like that. Ironically, I don't think that perlite dust is very
good for your lungs either. Anyway, after reading up on hydroponics,
they claim that a 50/50 perlite and sand mix is equivalent to vermiculite
so I'll have to try that with the cuttings since I do have a lot of
perlite and sand.

The problem I see with this is knowing when the cuttings have enough
roots to transplant without having to pull them out of their hole
periodically. This winter I bought a 400W HID high pressure sodium lamp
which allows for a 16 square foot simulated "summer" garden inside.
After the cuttings root I'm hoping to simulate Spring in late Fall.