I have several cuttings growing in a plastic tent-like apparatus. I have
forgotten how long they should remain in the tent until I can bring them out
of it. Should there be a lot of leafy growth? I gave them a new shot of
air today.
Thanks,
Jackie

On 12/2/2007 5:06 PM, J. Davidson wrote:
I have several cuttings growing in a plastic tent-like apparatus. I have
forgotten how long they should remain in the tent until I can bring them out
of it. Should there be a lot of leafy growth? I gave them a new shot of
air today.
Thanks,
Jackie



I generally wait until there is some root growth. I gently tap a
cutting out of its container without breaking apart the soil. If I see
roots at the edges, I remove the plastic.

For a "tent", I take a liter soda bottle, cut the top off, and pry any
solid plastic bottom off. (Some bottles don't have a separate solid
bottom.) Turning the bottle over, I have a miniature greenhouse.

Some cuttings root so easily and quickly, that I don't protect them at
all. These include philodendron and its relatives, chrysanthemum, and
ivy.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

On Dec 2, 9:18 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:

For a "tent", I take a liter soda bottle, cut the top off, and pry any
solid plastic bottom off. (Some bottles don't have a separate solid
bottom.) Turning the bottle over, I have a miniature greenhouse.

Supermarkets sell foil casserole trays with plastic covers. I don't
see any difference between those and the plastic "greenhouses"
sold at garden shops, save for the much cheaper price.

On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 19:06:17 -0600, "J. Davidson"
wrote:

I have several cuttings growing in a plastic tent-like apparatus. I have
forgotten how long they should remain in the tent until I can bring them out
of it. Should there be a lot of leafy growth? I gave them a new shot of
air today.
Thanks,
Jackie


Varies depending on the plant. Usually 3-6 weeks the plant is well
rooted. Hardwood cuttings can take 8-12 weeks.

Jackie wrote:

I have several cuttings growing in a plastic tent-like apparatus. I have
forgotten how long they should remain in the tent until I can bring them out
of it. Should there be a lot of leafy growth? I gave them a new shot of
air today.

What you are doing is rooting cuttings, so you wait until the cuttings
have roots. It can take a couple weeks for some things and forever for
others. The standard test is to tug on a cutting and see if there are
roots. If there are no roots, then wait another month or two. If there
are roots, then if they are well developed, you are done. If they are
not well developed, then wait another couple weeks.

When the roots are well developed, then as you mention, start venting
the plants to air a couple more hours each day. Never let the media dry
out, but don't keep it too wet. It needs to be well drained for most
plants.

There are basically 3 general types of cuttings: herbaceous, evergreen,
and deciduous. Herbaceous means the branches of annuals or perennials.
Evergreen means the woody stems of flowering evergreens or conifers.
Deciduous means the woody stems of fruit trees and shade trees.

There is a man in South Carolina named Mike Creel that can root just
about anything in 'dome pots". He uses most any clear container for a
rooting apparatus. Here are links describing his techniques:

http://www.rhodies.org/newsletter/2006december.pdf

http://azaleachapter.com/CreelWay122006.pdf

http://www.azaleas.org/downloads/CreelWAY05a.pdf

http://nativeplants.wcu.edu/2004/pre.../CreelProp.pdf
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