Rooting in a gel
 

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Jim W" wrote in message
news:1fzpaq4.3fotk71tjjc6pN%00senetnospamtodayta@m acunlimited.net...
Franz Heymann wrote:


Yes. I mentioned in another post that I have come across a source
and
have
ordered some.

Must've missed that.. Y can still ahve fun making you're own if you
wish though.. Try Agar and up to 5% V8 carrot juice.. As long as it
starts off sterile (eg clean heat cleaned containers) and is set hot
then cooled) there is no reason why it might not work OK..

Where does one buy Agar?
What does it cost?
What is wrong with simply making up a weak jelly with ordinary "food"
jelly?

[...]

Wholefood shops sell Carragheen or Irish moss: I don't imagine it
costs much. I've always meant to try making the pudding, but have
never got round to it.

I have no idea if you can use gelatin for propagation; but I think the
reason it isn't used in labs is that it has a lower melting-point than
agar.

I have my doubts if this is important. After all, I propose to root the
cuttings at a temperature at which the jelly will be stiff.

There may also be an issue in terms of reactivity to acids,
perhaps?

You may have something here.
I will have a shot at using jelly, but not until after I have played with
the commercial gel

Franz

Mike.

Rooting in a gel
 

"Andrew Barnett" wrote in message
...

Why has the concept disappeared from the scene?

What was the gel which was used?

[Franz Heymann]


The product in the UK was Fisons Clearcut.

You've rung a bell. That was it.

The company spent a small fortune on advertising the product in various
media including TV, and it sold like hot cakes - but as soon as they
stopped advertising, it stopped selling...

It just wasn't profitable, and ISTR it had a restricted shelf-life,
which meant that Garden Centres and wholesalers didn't want to stock it
if it didn't turn over fast enough to avoid wastage.

That might explain its demise.

I wonder if "gel2root" will have a similar fate.
I suspect that Fothergill's ought to try harder. I have now failed to find
it in 3 large garden centres.

Franz

Rooting in a gel
 

Franz Heymann wrote:

That might explain its demise.

I wonder if "gel2root" will have a similar fate.
I suspect that Fothergill's ought to try harder. I have now failed to find
it in 3 large garden centres.

Franz

I am pretty sure Chempak still do the preprepared 'domestic pots'.. But
if you do a search for 'Micropropagation supplies' You can get ready
prepared pots by post IIRC.. There was a Carnivourous plants stie (UK
based) that did a load of stuff.
//
Jim

Rooting in a gel
 

"Jim W" wrote in message
news:1fzs25l.ukf2qj27dcquN%00senetnospamtodayta@ma cunlimited.net...
Franz Heymann wrote:

That might explain its demise.

I wonder if "gel2root" will have a similar fate.
I suspect that Fothergill's ought to try harder. I have now failed to
find
it in 3 large garden centres.

Franz

I am pretty sure Chempak still do the preprepared 'domestic pots'.. But
if you do a search for 'Micropropagation supplies' You can get ready
prepared pots by post IIRC.. There was a Carnivourous plants stie (UK
based) that did a load of stuff.

Thanks, Jim.
You can (I have) ordered the stuff direct from Fothergills.

Franz

Rooting in a gel
 

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 13:00:21 +0100, Andrew Barnett
wrote:

~
~Why has the concept disappeared from the scene?
~
~What was the gel which was used?
~
~[Franz Heymann]
~
~
~The product in the UK was Fisons Clearcut.

Ah - thankyou for the reminder. I used to buy loads of this stuff to
propagate my African Violets back in the late 80s, though as an
impecunious student I tended to reuse them by topping them up with
water once they looked like they were drying out! Then one day I
couldn't find them any more...

~The company spent a small fortune on advertising the product in various
~media including TV, and it sold like hot cakes - but as soon as they
~stopped advertising, it stopped selling...

Well it was a very good product. Worked wonders with pelargoniums too.
And I loved watching the roots form - perhaps I ought to get some for
my godchildren (aged 5).

~It just wasn't profitable, and ISTR it had a restricted shelf-life,
~which meant that Garden Centres and wholesalers didn't want to stock it
~if it didn't turn over fast enough to avoid wastage.

I am intending to buy some of the new stuff as I could do with a new
generation of violets... current trayful are getting a bit old!

thanks for the name reminder.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Rooting in a gel
 

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 13:00:21 +0100, Andrew Barnett
wrote:

~
~Why has the concept disappeared from the scene?
~
~What was the gel which was used?
~
~[Franz Heymann]
~
~
~The product in the UK was Fisons Clearcut.

Ah - thankyou for the reminder. I used to buy loads of this stuff to
propagate my African Violets back in the late 80s, though as an
impecunious student I tended to reuse them by topping them up with
water once they looked like they were drying out! Then one day I
couldn't find them any more...

~The company spent a small fortune on advertising the product in various
~media including TV, and it sold like hot cakes - but as soon as they
~stopped advertising, it stopped selling...

Well it was a very good product. Worked wonders with pelargoniums too.
And I loved watching the roots form - perhaps I ought to get some for
my godchildren (aged 5).

~It just wasn't profitable, and ISTR it had a restricted shelf-life,
~which meant that Garden Centres and wholesalers didn't want to stock it
~if it didn't turn over fast enough to avoid wastage.

I am intending to buy some of the new stuff as I could do with a new
generation of violets... current trayful are getting a bit old!

thanks for the name reminder.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Rooting in a gel
 

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 13:00:21 +0100, Andrew Barnett
wrote:

~
~Why has the concept disappeared from the scene?
~
~What was the gel which was used?
~
~[Franz Heymann]
~
~
~The product in the UK was Fisons Clearcut.

Ah - thankyou for the reminder. I used to buy loads of this stuff to
propagate my African Violets back in the late 80s, though as an
impecunious student I tended to reuse them by topping them up with
water once they looked like they were drying out! Then one day I
couldn't find them any more...

~The company spent a small fortune on advertising the product in various
~media including TV, and it sold like hot cakes - but as soon as they
~stopped advertising, it stopped selling...

Well it was a very good product. Worked wonders with pelargoniums too.
And I loved watching the roots form - perhaps I ought to get some for
my godchildren (aged 5).

~It just wasn't profitable, and ISTR it had a restricted shelf-life,
~which meant that Garden Centres and wholesalers didn't want to stock it
~if it didn't turn over fast enough to avoid wastage.

I am intending to buy some of the new stuff as I could do with a new
generation of violets... current trayful are getting a bit old!

thanks for the name reminder.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Rooting in a gel
 

Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
spaces between.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Rooting in a gel
 

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
spaces between.

You would not want air to circulate round the developing roots. they
need to be in contact with moisture all the time.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

Rooting in a gel
 

In article , Michael
Berridge writes

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
spaces between.

You would not want air to circulate round the developing roots. they
need to be in contact with moisture all the time.

Do they, though? I was reading an article recently which said that,
contrary to previous belief, seeds and seedlings took in more water from
the air spaces between the soil than from the soil itself. So might not
the same hold true for cuttings?

And don't most people add sand to the rooting compost - not to hold
water, but to give air spaces?

I dunno - I don't go in for cuttings.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Rooting in a gel
 

I have used this rooting gel for awhile now and have successfully rooted
geranium, fushia, I should think any softwood stem would work. Its so easy
to use and theres the added bonus of watching the roots form. Only one draw
back its not cheap stuff :-(
"martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 21:11:43 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 20:20:14 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

About a decade and a half ago there was a sudden burst if interest
amongst
amateur gardeners in the rooting of cuttings in a gel. Then, quite
suddenly, it blew over and if you now talk about it in a garden
centre,
you
are confronted with an uncomprehending gaze from the attendant.

I experimented with it in a small way and was quite successful,
achieving
something like 70% success rate in the cuttings I tried. It was a
neat
way
of avoiding having to see to the proper watering of the cuttings, and
it
made it possible to see the development of the roots without having to
upset
the cuttings in any way.

Why has the concept disappeared from the scene?

What was the gel which was used?
plant gel

see http://www.plantgel.com/ ignore the God Bless America
stuff..........

Thanks for the URL. However, in the meantime, I have used Google to
discover that there is still a kit available in the UK. It got quite a
good
write-up in the June issue of the RHS journal. It is called "Gel2root",
and
is available from Fothergills. The gel contains both a rooting agent and
a
sterilising agent. I have ordered a trial pack and will report when I
have
some results.

Most kids put it on their hair nowadays :-(
--
Martin

Rooting in a gel
 

Kay Easton wrote in message ...
In article , Michael
Berridge writes

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
spaces between.

You would not want air to circulate round the developing roots. they
need to be in contact with moisture all the time.

Do they, though? I was reading an article recently which said that,
contrary to previous belief, seeds and seedlings took in more water from
the air spaces between the soil than from the soil itself. So might not
the same hold true for cuttings?

And don't most people add sand to the rooting compost - not to hold
water, but to give air spaces?

I dunno - I don't go in for cuttings.

Im trying some cuttings in the water retaining gel granules at the
moment, just some tangerine sage and some pinks. So far after 5 days
they seem to be ok, I will post any results.

Mark

Rooting in a gel
 

"Mark Fawcett" wrote in message
om...
: Kay Easton wrote in message
...
: In article , Michael
: Berridge writes
:
: Chris Hogg wrote in message
: ...
: Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
: using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
: they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
: ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
: spaces between.
:
: You would not want air to circulate round the developing roots. they
: need to be in contact with moisture all the time.
:
: Do they, though? I was reading an article recently which said that,
: contrary to previous belief, seeds and seedlings took in more water from
: the air spaces between the soil than from the soil itself. So might not
: the same hold true for cuttings?
:
: And don't most people add sand to the rooting compost - not to hold
: water, but to give air spaces?
:
: I dunno - I don't go in for cuttings.
:
: Im trying some cuttings in the water retaining gel granules at the
: moment, just some tangerine sage and some pinks. So far after 5 days
: they seem to be ok, I will post any results.
:
: Mark

Is it a special gel for this purpose - if so what is the brand name - or is
it just the gel that is used for pots, hanging baskets, etc for water
retention?

Sorry if this has been mentioned earlier, but I have just come into this
thread.

K

Rooting in a gel
 

In article , tracey
writes
I have used this rooting gel for awhile now and have successfully rooted
geranium, fushia,

Though that isn't a great test of its efficacy - geraniums and fuchsias
will root in anything. Even I can get them to go ;-)

I should think any softwood stem would work. Its so easy
to use and theres the added bonus of watching the roots form. Only one draw
back its not cheap stuff :-(

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Rooting in a gel
 

"Mark Fawcett" wrote in message
om...
Kay Easton wrote in message
...
In article , Michael
Berridge writes

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
Apologies for coming in late to this thread, but has anyone tried
using those water-retaining gel granules as a rooting medium (after
they've been well soaked, of course)? I would think they might be
ideal, holding lots of water but allowing air to circulate in the
spaces between.

You would not want air to circulate round the developing roots. they
need to be in contact with moisture all the time.

Do they, though? I was reading an article recently which said that,
contrary to previous belief, seeds and seedlings took in more water from
the air spaces between the soil than from the soil itself. So might not
the same hold true for cuttings?

And don't most people add sand to the rooting compost - not to hold
water, but to give air spaces?

I dunno - I don't go in for cuttings.

Im trying some cuttings in the water retaining gel granules at the
moment, just some tangerine sage and some pinks. So far after 5 days
they seem to be ok, I will post any results.

Did you use rooting powder/liquid and did you use a sterilising agent on the
cuttings?
I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Franz

Mark