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blupit007
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« on: November 28, 2010, 02:15:58 PM » |
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What would the ideal humidity and temperature be for rooting cuttings? I have a bunch in a fish tank with a glass top and right now the humidity is at 85% with the top almost closed and 80º. If I crack open the top it gets down to 75%.
I ask because some are rotting
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-Kristen
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helixturnhelix
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« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2010, 02:34:35 PM » |
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Hi Kristen, the main problem with high humidity is inadequate air movement. Do you have a fan circulating the air in the fish tank? I would get a small one to keep the air moving, high humidity and stagnant air is perfect for fungi...
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blupit007
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« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2010, 03:00:23 PM » |
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Ugh! No... The tank is crammed, no room for a fan. I have to think about this. But do you know what I should keep the humidity at?
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-Kristen
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helixturnhelix
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« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2010, 03:08:26 PM » |
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I didnt really pay attention to what mine was at, I would say stay in the 50-60% range and keep them warm. Cramming them in there could be a problem, because there is no airflow and it might result in more losses in gains because the fungi can move from plant to plant. Might need a second tank  |
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Charlie
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« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2010, 03:44:53 PM » |
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Kristen, Chris is right - 60 percent humidity is plenty and 85 percent dangerous.
Charlie
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blupit007
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« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2010, 04:09:25 PM » |
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I have grafts in there too, is it the same?
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-Kristen
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Charlie
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« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2010, 07:37:44 PM » |
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Yes, the same for grafts.
Charlie
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blupit007
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« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2010, 07:02:26 AM » |
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So, I adjusted the glass top kitty cornered over night and it brought the humidity down to 61% and it's staying there. But the cuttings don't look as happy. (the ones that were not rotting that is  ) They look a bit crispy. Some of them looked really fresh and glossy, but now they are dull and a touch curled. The problem is the air temp is now down to 60º. I do have the heat mat in there and the soil is reading 70º. Do you think this is OK? |
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-Kristen
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Charlie
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« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2010, 08:43:12 AM » |
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Hmm, not perfect in that it is on the cool side but probably ok. It is common for the leaf on a cutting to yellow and fall off a few days after sticking. A new leaf quickly starts growing and if it doesn't that almost always means the cutting is not going to make it. You could slightly close the top a fraction more than it was last night which should bring up the temp and humidity. As long as the humidity does not get too much higher the increased temperature would be better.
Charlie
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blupit007
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« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2010, 12:38:03 PM » |
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So I closed it a touch more and got the temp up to 72º, the humidity is at 68% but everyone looks a bit better. Thanks Charlie.
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-Kristen
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Charlie
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« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2010, 06:12:37 AM » |
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Good, but as I said don't worry if the original trimmed leaf at the top of the cutting yellows and falls off. That is very normal and does not mean anything is wrong. A tiny new shoot will appear within a week or so after the leaf falls but if none does within 2-3 weeks then that means the cutting is not doing well. Now is wait and see time.
Charlie
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Charlie
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« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2010, 06:25:42 AM » |
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One more suggestion. If you see any cutting or graft turn a dark brown or black color or show other obvious signs of rotting, cull that cutting from the tank asap. You didn't say how long they have been in the tank but the 3 week mark is when cuttings will show rotting if they are going to rot. It can happen faster or slower but I've found that at 3 weeks it is best to check carefully and remove anything that shows signs of rotting. By 4 weeks you should see new sprouts on the cuttings that are doing well and at 6 weeks some will be developing significant roots. The process can take longer at cooler temperatures but the above holds true for 80 degrees F.
Charlie
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blupit007
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« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2010, 07:10:20 AM » |
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I had 2 Rum Runners that were brown black, so I just took them out. Thanks for the heads up. Also, most of the rest are not turning color in the stem, but the leaves are a bit wilty. They have been in there for about 2 weeks. Still green and alive though. The temp is falling into the 60's with more air to allow less humidity, so I covered them up a bit more this morning.
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-Kristen
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Charlie
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« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2010, 07:20:24 AM » |
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Kristen, did you trim the leaves on the cuttings? A cutting cannot support a full size leaf, particularly without misting every few minutes. Ideally, only 1 leaf is left on the cutting, at the very top and that leaf is trimmed back by 2/3 or so with only a small piece remaining.
Charlie
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Doll
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« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2010, 07:27:46 AM » |
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Charlie, what rooting gel or powder do you recommend?
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"An addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the other choices in life."
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Charlie
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« Reply #15 on: November 30, 2010, 08:56:01 AM » |
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The gels cost a lot more and though they seem a good idea I never had any better results using them. Dip N Gro is a standard that always works well. Any of them that contain IBA promote rooting. Some "natural" formulations that do not contain IBA may not do any harm but don't promote faster rooting with more root mass the way IBA does.
Charlie
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hibbyjean
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« Reply #16 on: February 10, 2011, 12:58:15 PM » |
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Hi Charlie,
We bought a cloning machine and now have several cuttings that have rooted. My question is when should the cuttings be potted up? I don't want to take them out too soon, but then I'm afraid they're not getting enough nutrients from the water. One Pride of Hankins cutting has many roots growing so I'll pot that up this weekend. But two others - a Hot Wired and a Electric Orange - each has only one root about 1 inch long. I'm afraid to pot them now because what if the one root accidentally breaks off while I'm potting it? Thanks...
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Nievesgirl
Posts: 938
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« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2011, 08:58:27 PM » |
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The gels cost a lot more and though they seem a good idea I never had any better results using them. Dip N Gro is a standard that always works well. Any of them that contain IBA promote rooting. Some "natural" formulations that do not contain IBA may not do any harm but don't promote faster rooting with more root mass the way IBA does.
Charlie
This may be a crazy question but what do you think would happen if you put one drop of dip in grow in the container of water you are using to get roots ? |
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~Kerry~
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Charlie
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« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2011, 09:08:54 PM » |
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Hibbyjean, you put your finger right on the drawback to rooting in water - transplanting safely. I agree that one short root makes for a risky transplant and would wait for more roots to grow. Kerry is right that you can add a tiny amount of rooting hormone to the water. This can stimulate a lot more root growth. When you do decide to go ahead with transplanting don't shove the end of the cutting into the potting mix. Instead fill the pot up only part way with potting mix and then hold the cutting with the roots dangling into the pot while gently filling in around the roots and end of the cutting with lightly moist potting mix. It's at a very delicate state at that point. Far better is to pot up a cutting with lots of already well branched roots but that is not always possible. BTW, a healthy cutting has enough stored nutrients for 6 weeks without being fed more. After that point you can add a very small dose of fertilizer and/or spray a light nutrient solution onto the leaves. All very, very dilute at first.
Charlie
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hibbyjean
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« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2011, 12:06:20 PM » |
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Hi Charlie, Thank you very much for such an informative and right-on response! I potted up the POH on Saturday, and with your suggestion was waiting patiently for the other two to grow more roots, which in fact, they are doing now! Rooting in water was necessary for me because I'm sooo impatient, so being able to see the progress is important. And now that I have the solution to the major drawback I'm really good to go! Thank you so much!!!
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Charlie
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« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2011, 08:07:15 AM » |
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I'm glad it's working so far! Rooting in water is a lot of fun because you can watch the progress. You can see callous form and tiny roots emerge, etc. You can also see the difference that rooting hormone makes if you do some side by side with no rooting hormone. It's a big difference in the beginning.
Charlie
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