Well! That is very interesting, I thought everyone made their sauce from scratch LoL! Sorry but I couldn't resist!

I'm gonna have to find some green jars for rooting.

Thanks for the tip:-)
Diane

Hi Felicia,

What an interesting post. I have no green jars & am suspicious of olive oil that comes in green bottles (what are they trying to hide?), so I only have clear jars & bottles. HOWEVER, the drop of green food coloring sounds like the experiment for me! What a fascinating idea, faking the cutting out like that.

I've been lusting over Stephanotis for a LONG time & would like to try some that started small (those I see for sale once in a blue moon are too large for me). Any chance any of those Steph cutting still need a home? I'd swap some Hoya for it if you know what Hoyas in particular you'd like?

Hi Pirate:

You may have several rooted cuttings! Stephanotis is a hard one to figure out. Once established they grow like gangbusters. Rooting is a challenge and then, after planting they sit for months on end just thinking about growing a few new leaves. Even when they grow a few leaves you can lose them. Send me an email, I will have them off to you, likely this week, if not next week for sure. I work 8-4:30, hard to hit the PO! Do you want an established bella plant or rooted Lacunosa cuttings (also free)? Figured since I am mailing anyway.....

Some plants need light for rooting, others root better in the dark. It is not impossible that Hoyas fall in the second category.
Some years back Lesli had posted a similar post and had suggested that they (hoyas) root better in beer bottles. After that post many ppl tried to root, and they had success. I used the beer bottle to root Cissus discolor cuttings (which is known to be a hard one to root) and all cuttings rooted like ivy would.
So yes, green, brown, black,etc. works fine so long as it eliminates some light!

Hi Felicia,

How long did it take for your Jasmine to root via this method? What about when you added the green food coloring?

Thanks,
GH

Some of the Jasmine rooted within a week, every single cutting within 3 weeks, 100%. The ones in clear are starting to root, but only 2 or 3 have, and it has been a month or so. The ones that rooted with the green food coloring added had already been in clear for a week or so. They rooted within a week after the color was added.

Yes, I too noticed they root better in colored bottles. I have used brown (like the dark beer bottles and vanila bottles for little ones). I have not tried green. I wonder if there is a difference between green or brown?
Marcy

I DO remember this rooting in colored bottles discussion when ODeb mentioned it. I HAD tried it at the time w/ a brown bottle (I think it was brown). All I got was rot & I'm usually pretty good w/ water rooting plants (especially Hoya cuttings, except for the stubborn ones who won't oblige).

But guess what? I greened my cups of cuttings last nite, just one drop of food coloring & they certainly got green. Will be cool to see the results.

Thanks, Felicia for getting me going on this. Yes, to your offer of Stephanotis (& the others too if you can spare them). I'll try to EM ya tomorrow nite or Fri, but DO hope you'll accept some Hoya (crassipes) in exchange.

You lovely, generous person you - just terrific of you to offer such abundance & generosity. We'll 'speak' more in private.

PS: My Hoyas seed sprouted in 5 days, no bottom heat, no lights, how cool is that, think I'm a little excited abt this? Yippeeeee!

(PG) Karen

Hi. I talked to a horticulturist once who told me that plants grow better when the light on them is a green or blue tint.... ( as in a clear blue or green plastic which would filter and color the light reaching the plants). So, the green jar which filtered the light to the roots would make sense too. Maybe that is why greenhouses are sometimes a green color.

Karen, hope you see this updated post, what did your food coloring test reveal?

i have a few colored jars and find red & purple work better than green, but green is better than light blue or clear