Chena, that is so funny...I took a picture of some of my cuttings this morning. Are we crazy or what?!

I have a tree coming down Saturday so I have no choice but to cut the one's that'll be in the way. I friend of mine wants these but she won't pick them up until next week sometime so I threw a small bubbler together to avoid having to change the water out.

{{gwi:568154}}

I still have a lot more that I HAVE to cut asap but it is just so hard...

Chena those look like Christmas decorations. lol
Karyn

I hope to get the B-O-B going in a couple of days.. I have a different bucket this yr and had to go get a gang valve to have enough circulation..and install some field fence.. It is still nice enough to keep it out side...I hate having to bring everything in...On the other hand no will ever know I didn't dust.. they won't be able to see it..LOL

WF.. Looks like you are getting a good start also...
I know it is taxing right now but think how happy you will be when you hear the first Frost Alert and don't have to scurry around
and bite off the rest of your families heads.. OOOPS! wait that would be me...LOL
SOOO What ya got potted up??????
Chena

I'm there with ya, just waiting until the very last minute to cut and store.
Karyn

I'm planning on it tonite.

I've announced "No meetings, NO, I'm NOT going out to dinner, No Home Depot, I'm spending this evening with MY PLANTS!" Boy did they look at me like I was a loon. But the entire week has been chewed up.

Yep, Fridayyyyyyyyyy nite. . . .date nite. . .and I'm spending it with my plants. (grin)

I'll be right there with you Chena and WF. My anit-stress is here - so I can be pretty busy tonite/tomorrow.

Gosh I'm so outta it down here in AZ now. My brugs are just getting going from the too hot to grow/bloom summer!!! Its wierd not to be cutting back when everyone else is. I have grown brugs in almost every zone from 3b to now 10. Still not sure which is worse between the two extremes. I think a zn 8 is prob best. It is completely backwards here in the desert.

Chena, those do look like christmas decorations. my first thought :poinsettias ! A centerpiece. I guess it is all the red ribbons :)

LOL.. Since ya'll pointed that out.. They just may be Christmas Decoration...That is flagging tape..It is the only way I can keep everything from getting mixed up..I always think I will remember.. Yeah!! Okay whatever...I have learned to label and keep the little people away from them..

I'm using green stretch gardening tape. And a sharpie.

Boy it was tough trying to find spots to cut out there. Have my huge bowl of anti stress dip. Pulled all the cuttings out of the bubbler, dipped them, let them drain, and put them back in.

Was dipping as I was cutting and letting them drip dry before putting those in the bubbler also.

Cutting some more today.

Hey Techno... how is the Anti-Stress stuff working???
I have decided to use liquid seaweed in the B-O-B.. The cuttings I took on the 11th have been in a mild solution.. They are past the nub stage and putting out roots.. seems a little faster than in the past..I have it up and running.. I just need to bring it in.. I recieved a Wonderful package from Michele today (THANKS) as well as some of those OOPPPS! cuttings I bought on ebay....LOL I guess I better get busy.. Does anyone buy pots online or know of a good reasonable source??
Chena

Chena:

Wait - where did you find the liquid seaweed!? I've been searching ALL OVER for that!

My "species" cuttings just arrived today - but my BOB smells (remember - I put root tone in it) - I'm gonna yank ALL the cuttings and put new water in it. As Karyn said, plain ol' water (unless I find liquid seaweed!)

WHERE did you find it? I just LOVED that stuff in Ca - it was sold as a soil re-conditioner. In every store on the shelves. It was a MIRACLE cure for over fertilized miracle-gro soil in pots. Put all the "goodies" back in the soil.

Dweeb you shouldn't have a hard time finding seaweed extract. I use a product called Age Old Kelp made by Age Old Organic. I buy it online. They have several good products.
Karyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Age Old Organic

chena ... dweeb:
been looking for the liquid seaweed and can't find it anywhere in my area (Pasadena) have you found a substitute? Wanted to use it to try and revive those poor plants that had the Miracle Grow disaster a few months ago!
TIA Gloria

Hi Karyn1: Thanks for the link. Didn't see Age Old Kelp, but looked at the following. Have you used them or do you think these would be worth the money for the Brugs (cuttings as well as rooted plants: Age Old Bloom (5-10-5),
Age Old Fish & Seaweed (3-3-2), and Dry Grow (8-4-1- + 1% calcium. Gloria

I use Maxicrop... I can get it at the old farm store becoz they carry organic products..

Here is a link that might be useful: Liquified Seaweed

Thanks Karyn and Chena. I'll order it on line.

Guess I'm just surprised that it's not on any shelves anywhere. I loved the stuff. The soil reconditioner always seemed "idiot" proof for me.

Chena: As I was looking at which plants that I can cut more from - walked into the old garage - I found two of my brugs. Dried out and looking VERY bad.

The construction guys must have moved them out of the way - put them in there - took the doors out - and plywooded them in! I had to SQEEEZE the pots to get them between the 2x4s on the other side of the room to get them out! Grrrrrrr. . . .Edgar Allen Poe Brugs. . .walled in alive.

technodweeb, send them a big bill!! How could they?? Water and hope for the best?

OMG!!!! I hope you have some ST on hand.. It is a mircale worker.. We went out of town for a few days. It was suppose to rain and didn't when we drove up I saw my poor Iochroma shriviled and bent over...I soaked in ST it recovered and blooming.. I thought it was a goner...Don't give up on them...

Maybe a dumb question but, what is ST?

Daisy!
NO question is ever dumb!!!!
ST is Super Thrive.. it is plant vitamins..and that is just what it smells like...vitamins.. It some Awsome stuff if you have a plant that is stressed out..I get mine at Lowe's for about $10... I know that sounds like alot but ! drop to the gallon.. I haven't quit got the drop thing down yet ..LOL but a few drops to a gallon doesn't hurt a thing...
Chena

I also use the Age Old Bloom on everything and yes Superthrive is great, especially for rooting, transplanting and for plants that are under stress. B1 is also great for the same things. I don't know if the link that I posted earlier sells retail or not but you can get it at Better Grow Hydro too. Another great online supplier of plant nutrients is New England Hydro. http://www.nehydro.com/
Karyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Better Grow Hydro

It is so funny I have never seen B1 here.. anywhere..ST I had to look and beg for....BUT then again I am in BFE..LOL
Chena

I couldn't find either around here either and I'm not in BFE. For goodness sake I'm in the DC suburbs. Gardening is a big deal around here and you'd think they'd carry everything but they don't have squat! I kept wondering why all these people said that the HD's and Walmart's carried it. I might even go to a Walmart if they carried any decent plants or plant supplies. I was getting it online for a long time until I found a little hydroponics store near here. If you can find a hydroponics store locally they should carry many of the nutrients and organic fertilizers.
Karyn

Please clue me in . I'm reading about bubblers, what is it and why do you use it? Also what are you using as anti-stress? Thanks

technodweeb,

I agree with karma, send those construction people a bill for the two brugs. I hate having people doing construction around the house. You could tell them straight up what needed to be done to protect flower beds, but do they listen, NO!!

Also, don't give up hope on your dried out brugs. I had several that the rootball dried out COMPLETELY over the winter last year. But by keeping the root ball very moist, not soaking wet, at all times they finally put out some sprouts from the root system. And I was able to save them, just won't get to see blooms till next year, but hey, they are alive!!

My new beginnings, thanks Wildflower. I decided to go straight to the pot. I have been having such good luck this way all summer. I am excited. New plants and some Whites also. I feel like a kid with some new toys............

{{gwi:568150}}

Jim

Tdweeb: do you coat the ends of the cuttings w/ the Anti-stress? I'm concerned that it might prohibit ease of rooting. Does it affect the water ... meaning do you have to change water every few days? TIA Gloria

You can't find superthrive? Our walmart and home depot carry it here. The HD even carries huge bottles of B1 and its pretty cheap.

Aww Jeep, your potted babies are so cute. What is the potted plant on the right?

Gloria: re: AntiStress - That's what I was wondering also. But mostly, it comes OFF in the water, so it's not a problem. so don't bother dipping that end, either.

Just got back - changed the water in my bubbler.

The Tiara is a goner. . .and I'm losing one of the green tip double orange HG cuttings, but the other ones are rooting, but I'm also losing the Monte Toro. But so far, that's it. Unfortunately, 2 of those are items I only have one of. Oh well, that's the way it goes!

Keeping a close eye on everything. I may pull that heater out. Wondering if that's hurting them. It's turned as low as it will go. I would LOVE to do what Jim is doing, but boy, I don't have room for all the potted plants yet. The bubbler is my only option. I'm so jealous Jim!

Davidwv: Re: Edgar Allan Poe brugs - I haven't put anything on them except water and put them in dappled shade hoping that the stalks aren't going to die. I hope you're right. Boy I don't want to give up on those two. The one was the first one to bloom and I took a picture of and posted here. I should just whack 'em and throw them in the bubbler and save the pot with what's left. It was two of my pink noids that smell like roses. Damm-** I wanted cuttings from those. Gonna try anyway. I'm going to try to save all of them.

These guys are killin' me - hundreds of dollars of stuff . . .grrrrrr. . . .I was just told. . ANOTHER 2 weeks. Guys? I won't have BRUGS left the way you're going! Aaaaaack! GET IT DONE!

SJN it is a rubber tree. I started a whole bunch of them last winter as cuttings along with Banyans. I even planted some 3" thick limbs. Everyone told me they would never root. Well I have a forest and they were wrong. My brugs from Wildflower got put into my temp. greenhouses. We are going to get down to 50 for a night or two.

Sounds as if everyone is geting used to their bubbler's. It is amazing to watch. Techno, brugs and construction. LOL I hope you are building a greenhouse.......also. As you can see I use a lot of vermiciulite. I am going to try rooting directly in it this winter. I always like to experiment. PS I have a week off. It was Cancun or planting some 30 gallon pots. The plants won. Today.

Jim

Jim,

May I give you a little advice about trying to root in pure vermiculite? I know a person who, when they were in the brug business used pure vermiculite to root their cuttings in. From her experience and mine they did ok, but with pure vermiculite it seemed the roots that developed were very fragile. And the vermiculite can tend to stay a little on the wet side too.

If that a cutting, needs a very well draining material, I like to mix vermiculite and perlite 50/50. And sometimes I will use a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio of Vermiculite, Perlite and Peat Moss.

The main thing is to make sure the cutting has very good drainage and stays moist enough to root.

I make up several different mixes, all depending on what it is that I am attempting to root.

Jim: I'm building a greenroom. Not a "green house" per se.

It's for the plants to be put into dormancy. I'll have some grow lights and heat mats for little stuff like cuttings but right now - it is still under "construction."

Cancun or plants. . LOL. . .funny. Not sure my bubbler is ok - didn't like losing two things in there. Keeping a close eye on the others.

And it looks like we're going to touch 38 on Tuesday nite - so it looks like I'm hauling them all back IN again.

Hi Dweeb: So far Bubbler is way ahead of what I went thru last year with an assortment of jars, etc.! Right now,the only cuttings I've lost are the L'amour ones that were replaced. Two of the replacements are fading. Tops mushy and bottoms looking as tho they will "mush", too. Have been trimming, but there comes a point when no more to trim!!!lol. I've held off adding anything to the water. I have no luck with h2o2. No matter how careful Iam about measuring, I notice the cuttings that are in water with the peroxide rot. So, have kept EVERYTHING out of the water ... no B1, no ST, and so far lots of nubbies and some white roots emerging. Added fresh water, but didn't have to change it. Clear and fresh smelling. Potted up some of the e-bay plants and some of the rooted cuttings yesterday. If they all take I should have a wonderful assortment to trade with next year. How's by your BOB? Gloria

I'm going back to plain old water. I'm gonna yank the heater. I don't think I should be heating the water. Not until it's out in the green room.

Gotta put some labels on my noids. Otherwise, it's going ok. I won't bother with the picky yuney ones any more.

Otherwise, going great! Some are rockin' along - others are being cranky about rooting! (grin)

Awwwww Jim, you are treating those babies so well! I do the same thing. Put them straight into pots. Unless I'm out of potting soil or just don't have time to pot right away. But I gotta tell you....If I had the opportunity to go to Cancun right now, the plants would have to wait!!!

That's not the one, didn't even notice the rubber tree duh, I must be blind...I was asking about the one under it and all the way to the right lmao! But cool, I have a variegated rubber tree as well as a small greenish (that was sort of purplish when I got it and now looks green?) They are tough little suckers: took the heat this summer like a champ. So they should do great for you. My variegated one made a bunch of suckers, I been wanting to separate them somehow. Maybe I will just try rooting some the way you did before it gets to cold. Banyans sound interesting, and so does Cancun LOL!

gee8ch,
I don't have any luck putting anything in my rooting water either. The only time I use H202 is if I am having a little sliminess around the roots and then I just use a tiny bit-leave it for a few hours and then rinse and change the water back to clear. If I am not using a bubbler I change the water 2 x per day and that seems to help. It is probably just oxgenating the water and keeping it fresh (same principal as the bubbler).
If I have a cutting that is drying out from the top down. It is because the roots are not developed enough to absorb water and the stem cut is sealed off so it can't absorb water either. Try cutting a bit off the stem then put it in some lukewarm water for an hour or so. Then put it into a sterile soiless mix with perlite. Seal it, pot and all in a plastic bag. Dont keep watering the soil but perhaps mist the stem from time to time-you want it humid, keep it in bright indirect sun and keep warm but not hot! Make sense? LOL! This does not always work but sometime it does for me. I have saved some cuttings this way. Some people even do this with the leaves still on the plant and outdoors. I haven't tried that yet.
Once the cutting develops leaves I have had some success spraying diluted spray in grow right on the leaves and stems. Seems to make them grow faster roots and all.

Get rid of the heater, totally unecessary. I have 3 jars of cuttings going now, 2 with aerators. I only change the water on the jar w/o a bubbler every 2 or 3 days. I really wasn't planning on starting any cuttings except for the two DD's that were sent last week but a friend gave me some more the other day and the wind knocked a few branches off my trees so grabbed whatever was around to put them in. I haven't even gotten tubs ready for cuttings yet. It's still near 80 here. I'm hoping to be able to ID some of the plants that had their labels removed. It looks like most are getting buds so hopefully I'll have a few less NOID's. The cutting back isn't even the time consuming part of what I have yet to do. It's the digging up of the ones in the yard that I want to save and root pruning the container plants that have become root bound. I wish I could hire someone else to do it for me. lol Better yet I wish I lived in a zone that I didn't have to worry about the cold temps!!!! Jim I think I'd leave the pots and head to Mexico, maybe not Cancun but Cabo San Lucas sounds pretty darn appealing. Yep, I'd let the plants suffer. lol
Karyn

Cancun sounded good cause I had free room and board on a friends sail boat. His wife had to leave so he needed a sailing partner. Now if it were January I would be gone. I live on the beach and more hot weather was not enticing. I enjoyed our 1st cold front even with its 60 mph winds. I think my crooked plants liked it. They will straighten up tomorrow or get staked. Never been to Cabo but would like too. I have a niece down in Costa Rica.
http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Manuel-Antonio/blog-212395.html
It has something to do with college. You get your degree and
then finish up your coursework by traveling for 6 months. Only in California!!!!

That is the new hot spot. I am looking for a place to retire in a few years. I want to dive for lobsters in my old age. LOL and of course raise a few plants.

SJN I went outside and looked it was either a NBJ cutting or a Sida cordifolia (native weed). Everything got moved due to the cold front. It was a straggler plant one of those if it lives ok or not. I cannot kill a rubber or Banyan tree. My burgandys are 5 feet tall and still growing. They do like my soil and climate. In Port Aransas they just cut down large trees and haul them to the dump. These are like 20-30 feet tall. What a shame!!!!!

Dave the vermiculite I have a bunch of like 8 cubic feet. I was going to use 4" x 4" x 4" square pots that sit on a flat and shelve them. My normal mix is 50% Vermiculite and 50% Pine Bark fines. Sometimes I do add Peat to hold more water. I just wanted to see if I could or how well it worked. I will see if they can order Perlite in quantity.

Now Techno I had to give my heater up. Then we do not get near as cold. Cuttings are finicky sometimes. I had a milk and honey go 2 months and still not root. I had to lay it down as a log and it finally did. It is still an under achiever. but has finally started to grow. I think it likes cooler weather. The one thing I did learn was on really hard to root stuff isolation and changing the water daily worked and keeping the water cool below 70 degrees. There seems to be something about 70 degrees. Down here insects do not fly below 70 and the migratory fish do not show up until the water reaches 70 degrees. I am cold below 70 LOL, I turned my heater on and it was 70 inside. Some of the breeds you are trying to root are real hard. Every double I had died so now I do not try. Good luck, oh before I close I never lost any that were in a bucket and had a constant trickle of well water going into the bucket and draining out the sides. That is the reason I was going to try the O2 to see if it sanitized the water on inside buckets.

Jim

Thanks Jim! I yanked that heater - I threw 3 ice cubes in it to bring it down a bit.

I bet you're absolutely right. It was barely even on - but it was probably giving too much. It's not on the "floor" yet (slab) so there wasn't a reason. I am now using plain 'ol water - no heater - no chemicals.

The Sophies are being SO crabby - 1" inch thick - won't give me nubs at all. I'll see if removing the heater speeds the rooting for those. I put them right over the bubble stream - so cranky and crabby.

I'm not going to try a tiara again. Pity about the Monte Toro though, I was excited about that one. If I really want them - I'll order plants in the spring.

I'm watching my mutts and. . . .I just love my mutts - I plopped a few of my liitle 4" long GREEN cuttings in there (thinking they'd die) - and I've got little roots already. LOL - they just keep right on going. The Chas Grimaldi bright green cutting is rooting already, too!

Guess you guys are right - there's something to be said for the "home grown boys" versus the prima donna divas. (very big grin)

SJN: Thanks. Will try your suggestion re: green and "sickly" twigs! Makes sense to slice bottom so warm water can be absorbed. Will see if this might help those poorly L'amour cuttings ... down to 2. This brug may just not do it for me! :0) Gloria