Cuttings

[Nievesgirl]

I know what grafting is but did not understand how a new plant was formed.  I just assumed the cutting was grafted to a rootstock and left on there to grow. Last night I FINALLY understand how this works !

I would like to try getting some cuttings to root so I can have new plants . There are 2 hibiscus plants in my neighborhood that I want to use in my breeding program. One is this very pretty pink and orange flower  it is very hardy ,  I never see white flies on it and the foliage is nice green and shiny. ( I bet it’s a cultivar already but I do not know the name) I will take picture of it maybe today

The second one is a mixture of orange, white, red its kind of striped splashed. This one seems hardy also it has always withstand the cold in the winter.  I am seeing blooms on both plants.

 

What would I need to get cuttings to grow ?

[Charlie]

If these are not grafted, they should root for you. Only newly purchased hibiscus are likely to have been treated with growth inhibitors and those make rooting difficult to impossible until wears off.

There are many methods to root hibiscus and other plants. Probably the simplest, and in some ways the most interesting because you can see exactly what happens, is to fill a glass with an inch of water and drop the cutting into it. A drop of bleach helps deter rotting but you can also use water only if it is changed every day. If the cutting is dipped in rooting hormone you will see a different result than if no hormone is applied and the cutting may root faster.

The cutting should be either very firm green wood or firm wood that has recently changed from green to brown or is part green and part brown. Soft green wood usually rots and old hard wood may take a very long time or never root. Remove all the leaves except for one at the top and then trim that one so that there is only about 1 square inch left. Don't worry if that leaf falls off later.

Place the glass with the cutting in a shaded spot that does not get too hot. When changing the water use luke warm rather than cold water. If you have a heating mat you can put the glass on it. If the cutting is from a healthy plant you should get roots forming within 4-6 weeks, with some varieties it happens within 3 weeks but don't count on that. After the roots grow a couple of inches you can carefully plant the rooted cutting in soil.

There are other methods but I like this one because it lets you see how the cutting actually makes roots, a process that is hidden if the cutting is stuck into any growing medium other than water.

Charlie

[Nievesgirl]

Thanks for the info Charles , i have read about other methods also but this one seems easiest simple. I only want to try a few cuttings. I will start this weekend . I just need some root hormone and I should be good.

[Darkhorse]

I'm glad someone posted this.  Thanks Charles for the good info!!  I want to try rooting in the future to have "backups" of my favorite cv's.

Why would a newly purchased plant be treated with growth inhibitor?  So it's new owner can't take cuttings off of it?

[Nievesgirl]

I'm glad someone posted this.  Thanks Charles for the good info!!  I want to try rooting in the future to have "backups" of my favorite cv's.

Why would a newly purchased plant be treated with growth inhibitor?  So it's new owner can't take cuttings off of it?

My guess is that so the rootstock cultivar or plant does not grow too. ( I was going to ask how do you stop the rootstock from growing )

[Darkhorse]

Aha I didn't think of that.  Seems to me, though, that would affect the ability of the grafted cv to grow...?  That was more of a question than a statement... 

[Nievesgirl]

Aha I didn't think of that.  Seems to me, though, that would affect the ability of the grafted cv to grow...?  That was more of a question than a statement... 

I was thinking the same thing ? We will have to see what Charles says 

On another note I think I found the name of the CV that is down the street , I think its Ross Estey. I was reading its a "own root " variety. Maybe the cutting will root after all ?  The other CV is still unknown I need to get a picture.

[nina]

As far as I know, growth inhibitors are used to make small, compact plants (easier to transport) and full of buds. You will recognize the plant is treated because the internodes (spaces between the leaves ) are very, very short, and the leaves are very, very dark green, and the plant is full of buds.
The plant usually needs 1,5 - 2 years to overcome the hormone effects. In reality, most of those plants die soon after they finish blooming. I do not know how they treat them in the USA, but in Europe they treat them a lot, so after the plant finishes blooming it does not grow at all. It is possible, although very difficult, to save such a plant. It needs a lot of care and knowledge to be kept alive.

But, I have heard that such plants can be rooted. I have never tried, because I avoid such plants in a very wiiiiide circle.

ciao, Nina

[Charlie]

Nina described the uses of growth regulators quite well. What most people do not know is that a great many of the plants sold at most garden centers have received such treatments, it's not just hibiscus. As one grower told me early in my career "it beautifies the plant". What he left out was that it also guarantees a lot of return business the next year because the plants are beautiful for only a few months and then often decline. Other growers have told me and shown me that the dose is all important, that just the right touch can beautify the plant and bring out more flowers without damaging the plant long term. However, I think it is common to overuse the growth regulators.

Exotic hibiscus are rarely treated with it. Hines did it and so does Zoe's but I do not think any of the specialty growers of exotic hibiscus use it. One problem is that each variety reacts differently to it and the dose has to be adjusted for every variety which is not practical where lots of varieties are being grown.

Charlie

[Nievesgirl]

So I went out last night while walking my dog to collect some cuttings. I only cut one piece from each plant. Now I hope they start rooting.

I was so amazed at how big the Ross Estey Cv was they where shiny.

[Charlie]

I've done the "collect" cuttings thing, too. Once I raided a White Wings outside a restaurant only to look up and see all the guests seated next to the window watching me. Who knows what they thought. That time I brought back some unwanted guests - giant whiteflies. Yuck. It's smart to check out the plant carefully before taking the cuttings......

Charlie

[Nievesgirl]

so far the first cutting I tried did not work. I rounded up 6 cuttings and they look like they are trying to root but no roots yet.

[Charlie]

Kerry, did you stick them in water or perlite or?  Used rooting hormone? The strongest hibiscus rooters such as Pride of Hankins and Albo take at least 3 weeks usually and can take much longer. A good rooting exotic will take 4-6 weeks. Many other exotics take 8-12 weeks to root if they ever do. The trick is keeping them happy during all those weeks and never letting them get too hot or too cold or too dry. Meanwhile fungus and bacteria are trying to feed on them so it is a race to see whether they will root or rot first. Once rooted they are much better at fighting off microorganisms.

Charlie

[Nievesgirl]

Kerry, did you stick them in water or perlite or?  Used rooting hormone? The strongest hibiscus rooters such as Pride of Hankins and Albo take at least 3 weeks usually and can take much longer. A good rooting exotic will take 4-6 weeks. Many other exotics take 8-12 weeks to root if they ever do. The trick is keeping them happy during all those weeks and never letting them get too hot or too cold or too dry. Meanwhile fungus and bacteria are trying to feed on them so it is a race to see whether they will root or rot first. Once rooted they are much better at fighting off microorganisms.

Charlie

I am using the water only the first batch rotted and dies so far the 6 cuttings look like they will root.  I am going to change water and use DI water this will probably help. I used root horomone and one drop of blach as directed

[Charlie]

Sounds good so far. Hibiscus cuttings are sensitive to high levels of dissolved salts. Our local water is often right at the limit of what hibiscus can handle. Your DI water would have reduced levels, how about the pH of that water?

Charlie