history addendum: rooted indoors/bright light/heat mat-media temps 84-90F var./no visible roots yet

and an additional pic

I have rooted everything for the last 3 years with the egg method....never have had one break or any odor ever. I think I would use a razor blade and EVER so carefully gently cut the plastic away and start over carefully so as not to damage roots. Did it get dropped? The gases do come out of all the pores over time and that is what the roots seem to like to grow towards quickly over time. When I repot months to a year after, depending on how fast that name roots, my eggs are always hollow. good luck, roxanne

Honestly, with your medium being very loose since it's mostly perlite, if you are very concerned you can just tip it on its side and gently scoop out the perlite with a finger until it falls away from the cutting. If you are very careful I don't think it would rip the roots since it's so light. You could take a look & then repot after rinsing out the container if all is good.

Now, if your cutting feels firm at the base and no shriveling or anything, chances are the cutting is fine and many will say just leave it alone....but since the egg is involved I don't know. Personally, although people warn against it I have taken cuttings out to look at them to ease my mind and they have been fine but it's ultimately what you feel comfortable with.

I would take it out, rinse the cutting and start over. ( throw out the old mix). With the egg broken, it will cause mold and all sorts of unwelcome pest..

Like Rox and Emily, it will be easy to take out and not hurt the cutting.. It's new, so it should be fine to start over.

Good luck!!!

Laura

okay thanks for your help! I am going to slowly pull it out after scraping/pouring the perlite out.

@rox- I am doing the egg rooting method based on a lot of research so I am with you on the benefits, such a cool phenomenon! I know it was never dropped but the eggs are some local farm eggs so maybe it had a flaw or micro crack that I didn't notice...I am doing about a dozen in the same fashion in a wine case box and they are all doing well....I am interested to see how they root. Thanks for your input!

ok here is a pic of the end...it is still firm down to the cut. I am super stoked because the end is definitely swollen and flaring out which looks to be extra tissue bulk preparing to send roots out. There are also little root nublets above the end of the cambium that were not on the cutting at time of planting..I am going to replant the cutting without the root gel.

what are your thoughts?

here is another shot

3 months later ::bump:: Jean Moragne rooted!

I switched out the mix for fresh perlite. I have come to the conclusion that my mix was too light being almost all perlite and the MPG cuttings were so beefy, they were crushing my eggs beneath. I did the egg with a slightly heavier mix of perlite/peat and I have had great success!

I have come from 0% rooted rate last season, to 100% rooted this season, I am super stoked! I owe my success to this forum and to all of the experts that have lent their advice. Even my Bill Moragne is showing roots this week; I potted him in late February.

Just as an experiment, I left some of the mystery cuttings in the original mix with broken eggs (smelly) and they rooted quickly; some quicker than those with intact eggs..no problem with the broken egg..other than the smell. My wife would not go out into the garage for a few weeks citing the odor. Not a controlled experiment, but if the egg breaks-no big deal as long as you can ward off pests and flies :)

thanks again for your help rox/elucas101/Laura!

Love to hear of your success. I have had easy times rooting Jeannie w/egg...BUT hear Bill is hard to root so many graft. Congrats to you! roxanne

GREAT NEWS!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to update us! Really happy for you and looking forward to some Jeannie Jr. / Bill M. pics from you in the future!

I am so happy for you as well!!!

Congratulations!! Great job!!!!

Laura

I personally am a big fan of the egg method. I was only ever able to root this way. My friend Bo convinced me to give plumeria another try. I had tried several times before and decided plumeria rooting was not for me. Now I have a huge collection, that is just starting to take off. Maybe I would have been better off not attempting rooting again...LOL!

Great to see your success!

Andrew

So egg lovers....do you put the whole egg in....check for cracks....put egg at bottom of container? Doesn't it automatically stink after awhile? Mine are inside under T5 HO lights. Love to try it but if it started to stink would have to uproot them. Can you tell me how this is best done?

you can google Raw Egg Rooting Method. There are believers (me) then there are some naysayers....whatever works for you. I put in a see thru container with LOTS of holes at the bottom...1 to 1 1/2 inch your choice of rooting medium packed in. Then the whole raw egg no cracks in the middle horizontal. Then atleast 3 inches of packed medium again... then the callused over cutting that I dipped in water with Superthrive and then into rooting hormone. Tap off excess and make a tunnel hole with your fingers big enuf for cutting to get into with out scraping off powder. Then atleast 2 more inches of medium over..(mind you the cutting is about 3 inches deep no more, could be less) I put a stake or 2 on the outer rim of pot and securely tie the cutting to it so no movement. Water thru till wet once with water with super thrive and then put where bottom can get heat....DO NOT WATER again till regular size leaves. You can mist a bit if really hot dry temps. Good luck, to each his/her own. ( do not push so hard you break the egg)

Rox-

Thanks for the long and thorough explanation and step by step process. Have one cutting to plant now and going to give it a try. One question. When roots show that the cutting is ready to be transplanted will the egg already be broken down into the soil? It's not likely that I'll open a brave new world of stinkiness will I?

All the times I have done this, the egg is whole but hollow when I transplant. I let the egg fall away, it does smell a bitt, and just plant carefully the roots. Note, some plumerias take a heck of a lot longer to root than others. Some do it quickly. What zone are you? Bottom heat is imperative.

Sorry to be such a dunce but don't understand the hole vs. hollow egg. How do you hollow it out? Break it and just use the shell? I'm supposedly in 9b but live right on the Oregon ocean- we get tons of wind like 35-75mph all year round so these are not outdoor. Have them under T5 HO light. I've only rooted 2 out of 12 cuttings so far but they were all planted at the end of August so prob be awhile yet I guess. And have them all on heat mat.

The egg becomes hollow in the soil. Gasses are emitted thru the thousands of tiny pores in the egg. We have a real problem hear with opossums and raccoons....never have they gotten into my plants to get the egg....all are outside too. They always go for the food in the l;I've capture trap...number 114 just this morning.The egg is whole when you put it in the soil. Still whole but hollow if all went well and the egg did not get broken from poking it with cutting or stake.