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Old 13-08-2003, 10:42 PM
Franz Heymann
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

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?

[Franz Heymann]


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Old 13-08-2003, 10:42 PM
martin
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

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..........
--
Martin
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Old 13-08-2003, 11:32 PM
Franz Heymann
 
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Default Rooting in a gel


"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.

[Franz Heymann]


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Old 13-08-2003, 11:32 PM
martin
 
Posts: n/a
Default Rooting in a gel

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
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Old 14-08-2003, 08:48 AM
Franz Heymann
 
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Default Rooting in a gel


"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 :-(


If they wash, they don't need the sterilising agent, and if they have hair
they don't need the rooting agent. {:-))

Franz





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Old 14-08-2003, 11:02 AM
martin
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 06:35:59 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


Most kids put it on their hair nowadays :-(


If they wash, they don't need the sterilising agent, and if they have hair
they don't need the rooting agent. {:-))


telling them that it makes them go bald makes them think twice about
using gel.
"did you use gel when you were a kid?"
"when did you go bald?"
--
Martin
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Old 14-08-2003, 04:04 PM
Gary Woods
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

Jane Ransom wrote:

Possibly because people realised that, to root cuttings, you don't need
gel or rooting hormones or anything else. All you need to do is do it at
the right time in plain ordinary soil


I was wondering along the same line... the 60% success rate in gel sounds
pretty bad, depending on what was being rooted. I get nearly 100% on
several varieties of Fuschia stuck in "Pro-Mix" (soilless compost mix; not
even Innes secret formula #3.7a), as long as I don't forget to keep it
damp!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G
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Old 14-08-2003, 08:42 PM
Jim W
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

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?


Rot.. Its just not widely available on the domestic market..

How do you think they flood the market with 'new' cultivars? esp slower
growers like roses.. They use micropropagation primarily which is
effectily what you're describing though using only a few cells. Then
they wean and grow on..

I spent a few days in a microprop lab at UCLANC where they carry out
commercial contracts a few years ago.. I still have the roses that I
grew from that part of the course module! 'Pink Perpetue'

What was the gel which was used?


Its ususally an agar gel base which you can buy in any health food store
or catering supplier.. Its a suitable vegetarian alternative to
gelatine. It comes from an algae/seaweed I believe.

I still ahve the notes and the 'Recipes' here.. We used V8 (again,
health food store, its basically carrot juice) as the nutrient supply..
Though we DID use synthesised plant hormones to encourage root cells.
Not all plants have enough from such tiny samples. Of course if you are
using normal size cuttings then it won't matter so much.

If you look up mocroprop there are plenty of sites with 'heath robinson'
type setups.. Orchid growers use it a fair bit I believe. Certainly
the supplies I obtainable.. A company called 'Wilder' in the US used to
do a full kit.

I've seen the ready prepared 'gel pots' for cuttings where you just
stick them through a foil lid quite recently!
//
Jim
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Old 14-08-2003, 10:45 PM
Franz Heymann
 
Posts: n/a
Default Rooting in a gel


"Jim W" wrote in message
news:1fzp4l3.1epg14x1ugs0ioN%00senetnospamtodayta@ macunlimited.net...
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?


Rot.. Its just not widely available on the domestic market..

How do you think they flood the market with 'new' cultivars? esp slower
growers like roses.. They use micropropagation primarily which is
effectily what you're describing though using only a few cells. Then
they wean and grow on..

I spent a few days in a microprop lab at UCLANC where they carry out
commercial contracts a few years ago.. I still have the roses that I
grew from that part of the course module! 'Pink Perpetue'


I am fully aware of its use in commercial circles. It was its apparent
departure from the amateur field that I was bemoaning.


What was the gel which was used?


Its ususally an agar gel base which you can buy in any health food store
or catering supplier.. Its a suitable vegetarian alternative to
gelatine. It comes from an algae/seaweed I believe.


I wonder why it has to be something expensive like agar. Why not thick
wallpaper paste?


I still ahve the notes and the 'Recipes' here.. We used V8 (again,
health food store, its basically carrot juice) as the nutrient supply..


I am missing out on something here. I thought that commercial gel
propagation was done under as sterile conditions as possible. My problem is
now that carrot juice is a complex organic liquid, and its constituents have
to be decomposed into simple inorganic substances before the plantlet can
make use of it. What does the decomposing in a sterile environment?

Though we DID use synthesised plant hormones to encourage root cells.
Not all plants have enough from such tiny samples. Of course if you are
using normal size cuttings then it won't matter so much.

If you look up mocroprop there are plenty of sites with 'heath robinson'
type setups.. Orchid growers use it a fair bit I believe. Certainly
the supplies I obtainable.. A company called 'Wilder' in the US used to
do a full kit.


As far as I know, it is literally the only feasible way of propagating
Disas.


I've seen the ready prepared 'gel pots' for cuttings where you just
stick them through a foil lid quite recently!


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

Franz


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Old 14-08-2003, 11:14 PM
Jim W
 
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Default Rooting in a gel

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..

As I said the tricky bit is weaning as plants grown like this may have
less 'normal' bacterial/fungal colonisation already in place compared to
conventional cuttings.
//
Jim
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