Wow, they're beautiful. Good job.

Aww, I want a mini! I have a big order coming from her, hopefully tonight or tomorrow. They were held captive by the USDA For over a week now.

Very pretty they all are

Nice, Elena!! Spring is definitely in the air. These are awake!!

Mini Queen is blooming! I also tried to air layer few cutting, will see what happens! Couple of them crocked already. I had to cut them off and right now they’re in the water with rooting hormones. Somehow people on a Russian forums successfully rooting cuttings in water, perlite, or just regular medium. My plants need a good trim this spring, they are so leggy and ugly, lol. Is anyone else can share their experience on rooting cuttings? I’d hate to throw them away :)

Hi, Elena ... I have successfully rooted several cuttings. Here's what I do:

1. When you prune, cut diagonally like this / ... Then cut the bottom of your cutting straight across. You can leave them like this or, to try for elephant roots, cut an X into the bottom, less than 1/4" deep.

2. Tag your cuttings with a string tag so you know what's what. I make my own out of lightweight cardboard and cord.

3. Remove all but the top 2 to 3 rows of leaves. You can cut the remaining leaves in half. Leaf removal will prepare the plant to stop producing leaves and blooms and concentrate its energy into making roots.

4. Allow the branches to callous over 1 to 2 weeks, depending on where you are. The hotter your climate, the faster the branches will dry. If you are in a colder climate, you may have to dry out your branches 3 weeks. The entire branch should just be starting to look visibly wrinkled ... not plump as when you started. Over drying the branch can cause it to altogether dry out.

5. Prepare your pots with lightly moistened substrate. Again, your climate will determine what substrate is suitable. I just use what I grow my adult adeniums in.

6. Dip the cut end of your branches in warm water, then in rooting hormone. Plant all your branch cuttings ... A communal pot works well. I am in a very high humidity climate. If you need to raise humidity, place the pots in a plastic bag but leave the top open. This is how I root plumerias. Some may find it helpful to close the bag ... Use your judgement.

7. Place on a warm surface, but not a heating mat, away from direct sunlight. The warmth will help activate rooting. I skip this step because it's always hot here. It is normal for all leaves to fall off at this stage, but some may remain.

Each branch will root individually and usually takes 1.5 months to do so. If a branch becomes soft at the base, it has rotted ... pull it from the pot and discard. If there's enough branch, you can try to recut to healthy tissue and start over.

Watch for new growth and plumping up of each branch. When you see this, leave another week or two, then carefully remove to check for roots. If the branch has only 1 root, that's fine ... consider it rooted! All my tiny one-root wonders have survived and gone on to develop normally. Pot up individually and slowly acclimate to increased sun, regular watering and feeding. I just place mine in full sun between bigger pots for a little shade ... they get full rain.

Remember, rooted branches are the same age as they plant they came from and will bloom accordingly. So, yes, it is always worth trying to root your cuttings. Most people don't even know what a caudex is and are very happy to receive cuttings as gifts. For those who are unsure, cuttings can absolutely grow an impressive root structure. This cutting was 3 years old at time of photo:

Maria Elena

Thank you Maria Elena! I remember your mom’s plant! I followed your instructions on air layering, three more branches look pretty good but it’s only been two weeks, and all my plants are indoors. Weather is being very crazy this spring, night temps dipping to low 40s. When I get home from work I’ll get some cuttings out of water and will dry them like you suggested before planting. This is will be my spring project, lol. Hopefully I can duplicate some favorites. Can’t wait to see everyone’s blooms this year, especially from Mr Ko’s seeds!

Love your enthusiasm, Elena! I have two more young KO plants budding and will post those blooms as soon as they open.

Hopefully, everyone will continue to post their seed grown blooms from respected hybridizers on the Blooms From Seeds 2 thread. Marica's idea is brilliant ... The visual comparison of expected vs actual bloom is very relevant to all of us.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5136275/blooms-from-seed-2?n=41

Maria Elena