Hydroponic cuttings

the cutting is a cutting from the plant under it

It is my understanding that plants should be allowed to die back over winter, as any remaining plants could be harboring scales of the protozoan parasite OE (ophryocystis elektroscirrha). For more on this parasite, see http://monarchparasites.uga.edu/whatisOE/index.html

In addition to OE, monarchs are also susceptible to pseudomonas bacteria (which causes "swimmer's ear" in humans) and nuclear polyhedrosis virus ("NPV" or "wilt disease"). As the season progresses, pathogen levels on the milkweed leaves accumulate, which, researches say, could explain the higher rate of disease in late-season monarch butterflies.

Overwintering plants, and any pathogens thereon, would therefore seem unwise, as it increases the risk to future generations.

May I ask what these plants are? Are some of your cuttings from Butterfly Bush?You might place a clear plastic bag over the cuttings in the clay pots to help hold more moisture in the air. I'd place a stick or something like that to hold the plastic up off of the cutting. Open the bags every two or three days in order to allow a transfer of air. Maybe even open a small hole in the plastic. Unless you know the cuttings in the clay pots have rooted, I'm not certain feeding them with the dilution of fert would be good. I take a few cuttings in fall that, once rooted, I overwinter in my small greenhouse and, for instance, Butterfly bush cuttings don't do any growing, mainly just seem to sit there during the winter months. The leaves don't all fall off, just don't really grow. Once spring arrives, I begin to feed with a light feeding then move them outside once all danger of frost has past. I only heat my greenhouse to about 40 at night, with daytime temps higher of course, so I don't know how some plants might react to steady warmth in the house when they, by nature, expect to rest during the colder months of winter. But if we don't try different ways of doing things, we will never learn what works and what doesn't. :-)

Mary

Hi Mary

They are all from butterfly bushes. They are established cuttings with healthy roots. I'm starting to think they are in there dorment stage even though the roots in the hydroponic system are going strong a 2" plant with 6" roots my main goal is not to kill them lol