"BIC" wrote in message
...

"Peter Sutton" wrote in message
...
I have just carried out an experiment with cuttings of Salvia 'Mystic
Spires' made 10, 11 and 12 days ago. The cuttings were all treated in
the
same way in a heated propagator at 27C and 100% humidity inside a light
box.
Of the 10 day old cuttings not a single one showed any root. Of the 11
day
cuttings 6 out of 8 showed some root. Of the 12 day old cuttings 4 out
of
6
showed root, and on average it was a good bit longer than the 11 day
cuttings. Am I right in assuming that cuttings spend a long time in
preparation, and then the roots themselves are produced fairly quickly
at
the end. I also put a number of cuttings in water, but after 12 days
none
showed any sign of root.



does it need to be a cutting,

There was a good post, a few months back on here, where a poster told the
story about a bay tree he removed from his garden. He cut the main trunk
and
left it as a pole/post in the garage. If I recall his story, a year or so
later he planed it and turned it into a post to put a house name/number
on.
After hammering it into the ground, a few week later it was sprouting new
growth...........some cutting that.

Its a huge subject, and I was really only questioning the speed at which
roots form. I had always assumed that they grew at a linear rate, ie after
10 days the roots were twice as long as after 5 days. But my recent
observation implies that for 10 days nothing appears to happen, then two
inch roots can suddenly grow in only two or three days.

In article , Peter Sutton
says...

Its a huge subject, and I was really only questioning the speed at which
roots form. I had always assumed that they grew at a linear rate, ie after
10 days the roots were twice as long as after 5 days. But my recent
observation implies that for 10 days nothing appears to happen, then two
inch roots can suddenly grow in only two or three days.




It can vary enormously. The Mrs plants cuttings of Red Robin (Photinia)
not sure of spelling. We've lifted ones that look fine a year after
planting as cuttings and they have had no roots at all! However, when
they suddenly start to spurt it is a sure sign they have finally put
roots out.
--
David in Normandy

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
In article , Peter Sutton
says...

Its a huge subject, and I was really only questioning the speed at which
roots form. I had always assumed that they grew at a linear rate, ie
after
10 days the roots were twice as long as after 5 days. But my recent
observation implies that for 10 days nothing appears to happen, then two
inch roots can suddenly grow in only two or three days.




It can vary enormously. The Mrs plants cuttings of Red Robin (Photinia)
not sure of spelling. We've lifted ones that look fine a year after
planting as cuttings and they have had no roots at all! However, when
they suddenly start to spurt it is a sure sign they have finally put
roots out.
--
David in Normandy

Thanks David - going back to your Bay tree, I am sure you are aware that in
the Minoan civilisation they used tree trunks as pillars but used them
upside down to prevent them rooting. I understand that even that is not
foolproof. Some things can still grow upside down, even though they have to
reverse the flow of the capilliaries.

In article , Peter Sutton
writes

Its a huge subject, and I was really only questioning the speed at which
roots form. I had always assumed that they grew at a linear rate, ie after
10 days the roots were twice as long as after 5 days. But my recent
observation implies that for 10 days nothing appears to happen, then two
inch roots can suddenly grow in only two or three days.




I would suspect (please note I am a non-technical person!) that for the
first few days the cutting can use the salts etc from the sap in the
actual stem and then the cells at the base click over to root
production.
I thought this was what happened as sometimes you can keep a cuttings
going for quite a while especially if long, however in the end the
cutting never produces roots and then dies.
So I assumed it was getting enough sustenance as it were, to exist for
so long.
Like trees and shrubs that get uprooted but flower or come into leaf
before dying eventually.
On the other hand this probably labels me as a right nitwit in the
propagating department
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk