I start large cuttings with a 1.5L or liter plastic soda bottle cut off with holes in the bottom. I put a few inches of soil in the bottle, stick in the base, fill with soil, water and tie the branch to a patio post or a stake and forget. I have had good success with 4-5 foot cuttings this way. I now do all my cuttings in plastic bottles. I can pack 5-6 normal cuttings in a five gallon empty black pot.
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Good call!!!I'm doing that then. The pictures help a bunch. Now for the $10.00 bonus question-- should I start them now or wait another month or so? You and I live in the same area really.

Look at the tips of your cuttings. When they show any sign of waking up (slight color change, claw development, etc.) it is time to plant. Usually in this area it happens in early march but with the warm weather, it could come earlier. I would still wait until march because you need the heat to stimulate root growth. Good luck. Bill

I love the idea of using those plastic bottles. I have 2 questions, though. Is it easy to remove the rooted cuttings for planting in a bigger pot (without damaging the new roots)? Do you think you could put a raw egg into the bottom of the bottle? I've been reading a lot about the 'Raw Egg Method' and can't wait to try it out this spring.
Iso

Hello Iso,
I am doing this right now with the raw egg in the bottom of the plastic bottle. My cutting is no where near as big. Under a foot tall probobly. I put about an inch of soil into the bottom of the plastic bottle. I then put them egg into the bottom of the bottle, filled with to abou two inches from top, then added cutting, and filled with remaining soil.
The cutting all ready has leaves growing. The problem with removing the cutting shouldn't be that hard to get around. My plan is to slice the plastic. I will only cut it until I can rip the rest of the pastic enough to get the rootball out. I would think that root damage would be minimal. I recently repotted a celadine that was rootbound. I knocked it out of the pot but still broke off about a quarter of the root system. I want to say that was around December. I grow mine under a 600 watt HPS light so mine had come out of a short dormancy. I think it was about 3 weeks before I had new leaves growing. The new leaves were a little limp for about 2 or 3 weeks, but I fed with vitamin B-1 and now it is doing fine, like it was never disturbed. Good luck and keep us posted!
Andrew

I put the whole bottle in a pot and fill soil mix around it so the top of the bottle is at ground level. Then I twist the bottle out leaving a bottle sized hole. I cut opposite sides of the plastic bottle down to the bottom. Then I open one side and lay my hand over the soil and flip the whole thing so the soil rests in my hand and the bottle is on top and can be removed. Then I slip the root ball and soil into the hole and fill in. Easy-peasy.

bill,

I love your idea about using the bottle. Previously I have always just stuck it in potting soil, usually in a pot with an existing plant. I like your idea because you can see the roots as they develop. I'd give your the Best Tip of the Year award. As you mention, replanting is easy! Mahalo!

Thank goodness ya'll did this post! My next door neighbor lives here and in Hawaii, so I have TONS of these things! I've been keeping them potted because of the weird weather...one is over 14' and very leggy...

I'll let you know how it comes out!

Hi guys, thank you for your responses Andrew and Bill! My computer was on strike yesterday, so I couldn't even check the forum. Amazing how much you guys know and yes, I agree with Jen: you should get the Best Tip of the Year Award. I will actually print out this page for further reference...
Can I ask one more question? How do you decide it's the right time to plant the rooted cutting? Do you go by the amount of roots you see in the bottle? The number and size of leaves? Or both?
Bill, in my previous post I forgot to say thank you for the photos you posted - fantastic! They say 'a picture speaks a thousand words' - isn't that the truth...
Iso

Iso- The top picture is ready to plant. Roots are visible and leaves are too. Sometimes I leave the plants in the bottle for a whole season and plant them in pots the next March. This seems to really get a good root ball. Bill

I was told that rooting a cutting in a clear container is detrimental to the process and that the container should be black. Yes, no ?

Hey Bill...

Question? The one cutting that you are holding up...did you somehow wrap the top of the bottle to keep it in place? I was also wondering if you could somehow keep the space between the cutting and the opening of the bottle protected from the rain and moisture...I find that we have more rain here on the east coast...so trying to keep the rain from the new cuttings is hard to keep up with...(running outside everytime it rains and try to cover)

I have had great success with rooting during the spring/summer...but the thought of somehow wrapping the bottle to the stem has given me an idea...

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for everything...

Laura in VB

Jeff- I have successfully rooted several hundred cuttings in clear plastic bottles and have about thirty sitting outside now and I have never had any detrimental issues. For extra heat I have poured gravel between the bottles but now I stick a bottle filled with gravel in the middle of some. Laura, you might try cutting the top off the bottle and then cutting the cap off so the hole at the tip is same as the size of the cutting. Then cut down the side of the cap so you can pop the cone around the cutting above the bottle. A slightly larger bottle might work better. Duct tape the cut back together. Or just make a cone of plastic duct taped or glued together. I am sure you can come up with something that works. Bill

How about a piece of plastic, could even be Saran wrap. Wrap it around the stem of the cutting and fasten with tape, rubber band or even a twist tie. Let the bottom part of the plastic sheet drape around the bottle (like a skirt), then tape that onto the bottle with duct tape.
Iso

Iso- I like your thinking. Tinfoil would probably work too. You might not even need tape.

Thabks BIll for the advise...i will try something like cutting the bottle top and securing it this spring. I think that by putting several bottles in a large 5 gallon black container will be earier to handle..instead of seperate little pots to watch over...i like the idea of covering the tops with a "skirt" Way to go iso!!!

Take care everyone..

Hi Andrew!!

Laura in VB

Thabks BIll for the advise...i will try something like cutting the bottle top and securing it this spring. I think that by putting several bottles in a large 5 gallon black container will be earier to handle..instead of seperate little pots to watch over...i like the idea of covering the tops with a "skirt" Way to go iso!!!

Take care everyone..

Hi Andrew!!

Laura in VB

reading up on other ways of rooting...When you say put it in the bottle and 'forget' do you mean not water it again till it has roots and you plant it or do you still water it? and if so how often do you water it? Also do you leave the cutting in the sun or half day sun half day shade or just shade?

Sara,
It's really dependent on the cutting and your local climate. In the early summer I would water once and forget about it until it has leaves. I have seen some cuttings take off and start growing when moved to more shade and the one next to it in the same pot go to rot. Its just one of those things that will either work or not work.

I would try the full sun approach and water once considering you are essentially in the tropics and probably approaching wet season. I think its OK to mist the plants during hot days or if they get wet from passing rain showers.

Ahhh might have to try this coz i have a stubborn cutting that is just not rooting in water and keeps rotting. I have tried in shade in water then had to cut it back and am now trying someones approach i read about on here which is put it in a dark room in water. If that doesnt work ill try it in soil. Either that or ill have to go get another cutting :P