Posted: Sun May 14, 23 1:02 pm Post subject: not edible but propagation method
geranium family
there are assorted suggestions for how to propagate them from cuttings, most are dismal
this works and might be applicable to other more edible plants
create terminal stem cuttings
trim off lower leaves leaving a rosette and bud on the top and put them in a jar with the leafy bit poking out
fill jar with water and then let it evaporate over time
do not worry about light, do not worry about "slime" but do remove any blatantly dead ones
leave it on a window sill until there are good root systems
plant up
that is rather at odds with almost everything said about propagation, but it does have a high success rate
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8914 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sun May 14, 23 6:03 pm Post subject:
I use very gritty compost for all sorts of cuttings...in a pot in a poly bag = mini greenhouse
I think the grittiness may stimulate root growth?
An open soil structure may stimulate it and certainly make it easier for the roots to grow as there is less resistance.
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9878 Location: Devon, uk
Posted: Mon May 15, 23 9:01 am Post subject:
I just shove a cutting in a pot of compost. Job done. works every time. Geraniums are so easy.
other cuttings, I will still just use potting compost, but pop a bag over, as Gz said, and put in a not too sunny part of the greenhouse. Also works well. I don't find it necessary to grow roots in water first.
We always do that with the scented geranium cuttings, but we don't grow zonal pelargoniums as although they are very pretty neither of us like the smell. We mainly do it to be on the safe side as I really want to keep that going, but lack of care and having it as a house plant tend to make it leggy.
you all say the things i had been taught about propagation of soft cuttings, grit, mini greenhouse etc
those do work
the water in a jar method had the highest success rate during a 2 yr test series of many rooting regimes for softish stem things such as the pelargonium family
hormones, light and dark, media and minerals were all tested in various combinations
cheap apprentices or dave's o level biology class, either can work for a 2 yr research project:lol:
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9878 Location: Devon, uk
Posted: Tue May 16, 23 4:13 pm Post subject:
I wonder how they do that research - I have never had a pelargonium/geranium cutting fail to take... so how would you measure success with a 100% success rate?
are they judging on the length of the roots etc? I have always thought the grow in a glass of water thing meant the plant had to suffer the set back of being potted up, whereas in a pot of compost it could just carry on in situ.
as i said i got dave's biology class to do the experiments
water in a jam jar and wait was the best result , faster and stronger clones than gritty soil or hormone gels or whatever
one of the fun things about clones is there is no need to treat the subjects as individuals, so like for like comparisons between test groups are easier
working with a plant with a low success rate would give little scope to test methods against each other
Probably the best result of an experiment like that would be something that is a bit hit and miss as cuttings. If you always get 100% take with pelargoniums Nicky, then it isn't the right one for you, but if you get less than 50% for some reason Dpack, either you need to adopt Nicky's method or it is right for your experiment. Take your pick it seems.
Many people say they can grow mint with no trouble, but I have never been able to do so.
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9878 Location: Devon, uk
Posted: Wed May 17, 23 3:43 pm Post subject:
mint would be good for a trial - easy to get hold of for enough test cuttings but not the easiest to propagate.
I've brought on mint cuttings with the plastic bag over cuttings shoved in a pot of compost method. I also read that they grow roots well in a glass of water, but in my hands didn't survive the potting up into compost experience.
I use a lot of mint as I put it in my tea, and found the best way to make more is divide an existing plant, rather than take cuttings.
a while back i had over half the named varieties of mint on a small roof garden
mint is easy if you do conditions for the type, what they need is as varied as the flavours and fragrances
begonias are an interesting challenge, leaf disk clones are possible as are leaf and slit veins pegged down to soil
another left field technique for at least one species, terminal cutting from a mother plant, strip side shoots to give a stem and top bud with 4 leaves
put stick end in "rooting gel", give them moderate intensity mid-spectrum "sunlight" 24/7 for about ten days or so in a propagator
a surprisingly good cloning rate for a plant that is not naturally inclined to cloning
a rather odd game, some plants it is trying to stop them cloning that is the puzzle
it took me about 15yrs to rid houseplants of the arid triffid clones, it will have a name but arid triffid will have to do, the edges of the "leaves" have hundreds of viable clones
Is that the one called 'mother of thousands'? I can't remember its proper name but my parents had one for year and it grew very tall. Dad joked he would have to cut a hole in the ceiling so it came up into my bedroom. I half believed him in a way.
For some reason we have had the begonia on our kitchen window sill take root from odd leaves and bits that have broken off. Shame it isn't a colour I like. The pink one gave up some years ago.
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