Fukien Tea Cuttings

[Akeron]

Hi everyone,

So! My tree is doing much better now and some branches are a bit over 12" long still green. I was thinking of plating trees out of those cuttings and was thinking of using the rooting gel below... but still unsure as to which soil would be best for them (seems the rooting gel is well liked). I have read that new cuttings like soil to be wet... but not too wet all the time. So I was wondering if someone can recommend a soil type for these cuttings. (link would be best). Right now I am using an Akadama, Black Lava, Pumice, Haydite & Charcoal Mix from Superfly.

Thanks in advance

George

 

[treebeard55]

I've never tried cuttings from Fukien tea. Mine produce so many seeds that I end up trying to find homes for an excess of seedlings!

But in regard to a rooting substrate, you want something that will retain water but not stay soggy. Your potting mix would probably work quite well, actually, if you sifted out all the particles smaller than 1-16" and larger than 1-8". If that's not practical, small-particle pumice, scoria and Turface work well, and even coarse - coarse - sand.

A commercial grower in NJ gave me the idea of using chopped sphagnum as a rooting substrate, again sticking to pieces between 1/16th and 1/8th inches. I'll try that this spring.

You want to keep the ambient humidity high while new roots form, because until they do the cuttings will have to get the water they need thru their foliage and bark.

 

[MountainExplorer]

I tried some thicker ones and I failed but I have successfully rooted some thinner ones. I think the best bet would be an air layer but yea

 

[Akeron]

Wow thanks for the great answer! will get working on it soon!

 

[treebeard55]

I tried some thicker ones and I failed but I have successfully rooted some thinner ones. I think the best bet would be an air layer but yea

I'd be interested in hearing how an air-layer turned out.

 

[petegreg]

Air-layer, good, reliable.
I've rooted few cuttings, some soft wood and one hard wood, used a hormone from our market, planted in inorganic soil and used a plastic bag tent. After few weeks it started growing.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The trees you posted pictures of are too weak to take cuttings from or attempt air layers. Let the weak trees have 6 months or more to regain strength.

Clone X is a reasonably good rooting hormone. It should help, but be warned, rooting hormones need to be used at no more than the dose the label recommends. Overdose the rooting hormone can result in preventing roots. Too much a good thing can work against you.

I use chopped sphagnum to root my cuttings, usually azalea. I don't use a rooting hormone, because azalea roots easily enough. If you are happy with 1 out of 10 cuttings rooting, you don't need to use a hormone. Often I get 50% or more take, with no hormone. If you need 80% of cuttings or better to strike, then you should use a hormone.

Timing will vary, you will have to figure what works best in your area. Late summer is often the right time for many woody trees and shrubs.

Air layers are often suggested but are cumbersome and prevent you from developing your tree until the air layer has been removed. And like cuttings, they are not a guaranteed success, for deciduous trees 40% to 80% success rate on air layers is good. That is a lot of development time to waste for something that is less than a100 % sure thing. Fukien trees are very common, widely available, and not very expensive. I would not bother with air layering. Easier to just buy another one.

 

[Akeron]

Thanks Leo!

 

[Akeron]

What happened??? Any guesses? It was doing great and yesterday I noticed cutting was a bit sad. Today a bit worse. Before and after pictures. Is it lack of water? I’ve been spraying it with a mist bottle for the leaves to be wet and then covering with plastic bottles attached to each other. I’ve been also watering the roots just a bit maybe once to twice a week with about a cup of water. Roots were about an inch each and had about 6 of them when I moved it from small container to bigger one about 10 days ago. Please help

Thanks in advance

 

[bonsaidave]

Needed more roots. You should let cuttings grow for at least a couple months before moving containers. Just give it high humidity again. Should be fine as long as the leaves didn't dry out.

You don't really need rooting hormone for fukien tea cuttings. Just soil and high humidity with those taped bottles.

 

[Akeron]

Thank you Dave! I can mist him once in the day and once at night or just during the day?
Put him close to sunlight? And do I still water the roots?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If your potting media is dry, of course, water it. If the media is damp, not soggy, leave it alone and check again tomorrow.

Sure, mist if you want.

No fertilizer for a couple months.

No direct sun, sun will dry out leaves too quickly. Very bright shade is good.

 

[Akeron]

Wow... Fertilizer was mistake then... It is slow release and on the top of the soil mix so I'll just pick it off. Also got super thrive... use or do not use?

Thanks a million! going home soon to check it.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Don't make yourself crazy trying to get rid of the fertilizer. File the advice for future reference. Superthrive, in my opinion, is useless and unnecessary. A waste of money.
An optional product with proven effective ingredients is humic acids. Also seaweed extracts, if the extract contains humic acids. Read labels.
Humic acids are not a "magic cure-all", but do help with developing a good root biome in the media.

 

[Akeron]

Don't make yourself crazy trying to get rid of the fertilizer. File the advice for future reference. Superthrive, in my opinion, is useless and unnecessary. A waste of money.
An optional product with proven effective ingredients is humic acids. Also seaweed extracts, if the extract contains humic acids. Read labels.
Humic acids are not a "magic cure-all", but do help with developing a good root biome in the media.

Thank you! It’s is doing much better as far as the leaves but had to attach it to a wire that goes up because “trunk” just fell over. I think I went too high with it

 

[Akeron]

OK last time I bother you guys with this I promise. I just get anxious when something doesn't look right. The bottom of the tree looks brown in comparison to the rest which is very green. Am I doing something wrong or is it normal for it become brown because it is turning into a trunk? To me it looks sick or rotting . Leaves are doing much better as previously stated. Pictures below and again, I cannot thank you guys enough!

 

[Akeron]

Sorry to bump this but I think I need help as I am about to cut the bottom and start again. Seems the brown part is growing upwards and small leaves are beginning to turn brown as well.
Thanks

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The brown on the lower trunk is a rot. The tip off, the lower part of the brown area is shrunken, smaller diameter than the green part. If it were healthy the color change would not be as dramatic and the brown new bark would be larger in diameter than the green part.

Yes, cut it off an inch or two above the transition from brown to green. Look at the cut, if there is any purple or brown inside the cut face, you need to cut even higher. Some rots are systemic, once started they can travel up the interior of the stem well beyond the region where they turn the exterior brown.

Do not reuse the pot and soil, it is contaminated with the fungal or bacterial cause of your rot. Start fresh. This fresh media should have no fertilizer. One advantage of using chopped sphagnum recommended by myself and others it that the sphagnum has a small amount of phenolics in its structure, this serves as a bactericide, and a fungicide. The amount is small, but it has a slight advantage in stalling fungal and bacterial rots.

 

[Akeron]

Thanks Leo!!! Really appreciate it

 

[Akeron]

Ok he’s been cut, he has a new home and he was very green where I cut and then I went a bit higher. I’ll see if that brownish stuff at beginning of leaves disappears. I already mist and covered him. Will wait 1-2 weeks to water